Lead induces sex and development related differential Mtn gene expression in two Drosophila species
2022
Authors:
Rakić, MinaPatenković, Aleksandra
Stamenković-Radak, Marina
Tanasković, Marija
Jelić, Mihailo
Lapčević, Simona
Savić Veselinović, Marija
Document Type:
Conference object (Published version)
,
© 2022 by the European Society for Evolutionary Biology
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract:
Lead is one of the most abundant pollutants extensively used all through human history
and, with industrialization and exploitation of its ores, its accumulation in the environment
has increased over time. As a non-essential heavy metal with high persistence and
toxicity, lead has severely negative effects on all organisms, but the adaptation of
populations and species in contaminated environments can be through different
responses. Metallothioneins (Mtn) are involved in heavy metal detoxification as metalbinding
proteins present in all living species, with six isoforms found in
the Drosophila genus. It is presumed that some of them have higher specificity for certain
metal ions, such as Pb2+, but the question arises if there is a specific response related to
species, sex and developmental stage. To further corroborate the metallothioneins with
an affinity for lead ions, the expression of six Mtn genes (MtnA-F) was quantified by RTqPCR
in larvae and adult female and male flies of D. melanogaster and D.
subobscura reared on the standard medium and medium enriched with lead-acetate for
thirteen generations and lead bioaccumulation was measured in adult flies. Our
experimental design allows for the detection of variation in expression of Mtn genes in
response to lead exposure between species, sexes and developmental stages. Results
also show a correlation between Mtn gene expression and measured lead
bioaccumulation in adult male and female flies of both species.
Keywords:
metallothioneins; lead pollution; DrosophilaFunding / projects:
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200178 (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200178)
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200007 (University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković') (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200007)
In:
- Book of Abstracts: Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology; 2022 Aug 14-19; Pague, Czech Republic. European Society for Evolutionary Biology; 2022. p. 471.