ISSN:
1432-0703
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Tolerance to mercury in two populations of the grass shrimpPalaemonetes pugio was examined at different stages of this animal's life cycle. One population came from a mercury-contaminated creek, Piles Creek (PC), near industrialized Linden, New Jersey. The other population came from a relatively clean area, Big Sheepshead Creek (BSC), near non-industrialized Tuckerton, New Jersey. Larval grass shrimp showed no significant difference between populations in terms of mortality in 0.01 mg/L HgCl2, although treated BSC larvae metamorphosed significantly (P 〈 0.05) more slowly than their respective control group. While no BSC larvae survived the 0.0125 mg/L methylmercuric chloride (meHg) treatment, PC larvae exposed to 0.0125 mg/L meHg survived as well as their controls, indicating enhanced tolerance to meHg in this population. Adult shrimp were exposed for 14 days to control, 0.025 mg/L meHg, 0.025 mg/L HgCl2, 0.05 mg/L meHg, or 0.05 mg/L HgCl2 PC shrimp were significantly (P 〈 0.05) more tolerant to both 0.025 mg/L meHg, and 0.025 mg/L HgCl2 than were the BSC adults. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggests that both populations of shrimp are capable of producing a metallothionein like protein (MT) in response to treatment with HgCl2; MT is found in higher levels in field-caught PC shrimp than in field-caught BSC shrimp. MT was not present in field-collected, viable eggs from either population.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01055173
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