Species-specific expression of metallothionein in the hepatopancreas of seawater fish from the Montenegrin Adriatic coastline

Metallothioneins (MTs) constitute a family of low-molecular weight, cysteine­ rich and heat stable proteins involved in the binding and regulation of essential metals, such as copper and zinc, and in the detoxification of these and other non-essential metals, such as cadmium and mercury. Previously we showed that the induction of MTs in Merluccius merluccius and Mui/us barbatus correlated with elevated concentrations of Cu and Pb, determined by chemical analysis of the seawater from Bar and Valdanos. In the present study we studied protein expression of MTs in the hepatopancreas of several seawater fish species: Red mullet (Mui/us barbatus), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), Tub gurnard (Trig/a lucerna) and Thinlip mullet (Liza ramada), from the Monetengrin Adriatic coastline. Western blot analysis revealed the highest induction of MTs in the hepatopancreas in the following order: Merluccius merluccius, Trig/a lucerna, Mui/us barbatus and Liza ramada. Considering that MTs play a role in the metabolism of essential metals, they are constitutively expressed. The presence of elevated concentrations of both essential and toxic metals provokes the induction of MTs. These results are in correlation with literature data showing that fish species differ in their detoxification capacities and amounts of accumulated metals. We conclude that the level of induction of MTs in the hepatopancreas of the examined fish species correlates with the level of their reliability as bioindicator species in heavy metal biomonitoring. ; Book of Abstracts: 1st International scientific conference integrated coastal zone management in the Adriatic sea; 2014 Sep 29 - Oct 1; Kotor, Montenegro. Kotor, Montenegro : University of Montenegro, Institute of Marine Biology; 2014. p. 28.