Proteome Variability in Oysters under Metal Stress
All organisms produce a multitude of biochemically active compounds such as proteins that enable growth and reproduction. The entire complement of proteins produced by an organism is known as its proteome. When an organism is stressed – for instance by the presence of contaminants such as PCBs or heavy metals – its physiology is altered by a series of genetic and biochemical responses leading to the production of new proteins or increased concentrations of others. Thus, of the thousands of proteins produced at any point in time, a suite of specific responders may be generated. An oyster exposed to a particular heavy metal stressor such as copper, cadmium or zinc will therefore produce a characteristic signal specific to that metal, which will in effect indicate its presence. If these proteome signatures can be accurately read, they could serve as a means for detecting heavy metal impact and for diagnosing the quality of a specific habitat. For these biomarkers to be useful, however, it is important to differentiate between short-term fluctuations that transiently modify the proteome and more serious levels of heavy metal stress that indicate a pervasive impact on the oysters' physiology. In this study, Brian Bradley and Jessica Meiller will determine the feasibility of using proteome signatures from oysters as a means to indicate exposure and impact of heavy metals in particular habitats. To do this, they will conduct experiments to compare laboratory and field protein signatures in oysters exposed to cadmium, copper and zinc. If successful, their techniques could be used to develop diagnostic tools for determining contaminant presence and the potential impact in the estuarine ecosystem.
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Brian P. Bradley
Jessica C. Meiller
University of Maryland Baltimore County
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