Transcriptional expression levels and biochemical markers of oxidative stress in Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to nickel and heat stress

The present study aims to evaluate transcriptional expression levels and biochemical markers of oxidative stress responses to nickel (Ni) exposure along with heat stress gradient in a mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). For this purpose, we investigated the response of oxidative stress markers, metallothionein accumulation and gene expression in digestive gland of mussels exposed to a sublethal concentration of Ni (2.5 μM) along with a temperature gradient (18 °C, 22 °C, and 26 °C) for 24 h and 72 h. Ni digestive gland uptake was evaluated after the exposure periods. Co-exposure to Ni and higher temperature (26 °C) for 72 h significantly decreased the antioxidant enzyme activities termed as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and caused a pronounced increase of lipofuscin and neutral lipid (NL) accumulation. Ni-uptake was different with respect to the exposure periods and temperatures in Ni-exposed mussels. Sod, cat, gst, mt-10 and mt20 gene expression levels showed a substantial increased pattern in animals exposed for one day to heat stress compared to the control condition (18 °C). The same pattern but with highest level was registered in animals co-exposed to Ni and temperatures within one day. Three days exposure to 18 °C, 22 °C and 26 °C, resulted in a significant decrease in mRNA abundance of cat, gst and sod and a significant down-regulation of mts targets (22 °C and 26 °C). Our data provide new insights into the importance of the early protective response of oxidative stress related-gene expression and regulation in mussels challenging heat stress and sublethal Ni concentration.