Expression of genes involved in redox homeostasis and antioxidant defense in a marine macroalga Ulva fasciata by excess copper

• Published in: Aquatic toxicology 2009-10, Vol.94 (4), p.275-285
• Main Authors: Wu, Tsung-Meng, Hsu, Yuan-Ting, Sung, Ming-Shiuan, Hsu, Yi-Ting, Lee, Tse-Min
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Antioxidant defense enzyme; antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; copper; Copper - toxicity; Copper Sulfate - metabolism; Copper Sulfate - toxicity; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; enzymes; Excess Cu; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene expression; Gene Expression - drug effects; Gene Expression - physiology; General aspects; homeostasis; Homeostasis - drug effects; Homeostasis - genetics; macroalgae; Marine; Oxidation-Reduction - drug effects; oxidative stress; polymerase chain reaction; reactive oxygen species; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Redox homeostasis; redox reactions; Sea water ecosystems; sequence alignment; sequence analysis; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Synecology; Time Factors; transcription (genetics); Ulva; Ulva - drug effects; Ulva - enzymology; Ulva - genetics; Ulva - metabolism; Ulva fasciata; Ulvales; Up-Regulation - drug effects; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
• ISSN: 0166-445X; 1879-1514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2009.07.010

The expression of genes involved in the control of redox homeostasis and antioxidant defense was studied in macroalga Ulva fasciata Delile in response to 5 and 50 μM CuSO 4. Redox-related genes, methionine sulfoxide reductase A ( UfMsrA), thioredoxin ( UfTrx), cyclophilin ( UfCyp), and ferritin ( UfFer) that were up-regulated by excess Cu [Wu, T.M., Lee, T.M., 2008. Regulation of activity and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in Ulva fasciata Delile (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) in response to excess copper. Phycologia 47, 346–360] were cloned and their expression was compared to superoxide dismutase ( UfMnsod and UfFesod), ascorbate peroxidase ( UfApx), glutathione reductase ( UfGr), and catalase ( UfCat). Transcripts of UfMsrA, UfCyp, and UfFer were increased by excess Cu with a peak at 3 h and that of UfTrx increased after 6–9 h, but not affected by 4-day exposure to excess Cu, except an increase in UfMsrA transcript. Transcripts of UfMnsod, UfFesod, UfApx, UfGr and UfCat can be increased by 4-day exposure to Cu excess [Wu, T.M., Lee, T.M., 2008. Regulation of activity and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in Ulva fasciata Delile (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) in response to excess copper. Phycologia 47, 346–360] but not by short-term excess Cu treatment, except UfGr whose transcript increased after 3 h. Reactive oxygen species involved in up-regulation of antioxidant defense enzymes genes. These results suggest that the expression of genes of antioxidant defense enzymes and UfMsrA are associated with long-term adaptation of U. fasciata to Cu excess and transcription of redox-related genes and UfGr is up-regulated for short-term acclimation.