Tidal height influences the levels of enzymatic antioxidant defences in Mytilus edulis

We investigated the potential variability of enzymatic antioxidant activities in blue mussels Mytilus edulis from a single intertidal population but living at different tidal heights. Activity levels of antioxidant enzymes (Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione transferase) were measured in the gills and digestive gland of mussels sampled at high shore (HS, air-exposure > 6 h/12 h) and low shore (LS, air-exposure < 2 h/12 h) of an intertidal zone (Yport, Normandie, France) for two consecutive autumns. In both tissues, levels of each enzymatic activity (except GST) were clearly higher in HS mussels than in LS for the two years.These results suggest an ability to acclimate the enzymatic antioxidant defences to the degree of undergone stress, confirming the importance of environmental conditions in the antioxidant responses. Therefore, the location of organisms on the shore should be taken into account in sampling for ecotoxicological studies.