Ex-situ induction of Metallothionein gene in Lybiodrilus violaceous post cadmium and zinc exposure
Earthworms are good indicators used in evaluating the health status of the terrestrial ecosystem and metallothionein (Mt) is a biomarker monitored during environmental studies. There is however a dearth of information on metallothioneins in African earthworms. Libyodrilus violaceous is a West Africa...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Gene reports 2020-09, Vol.20, p.100701, Article 100701 |
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Zusammenfassung: | Earthworms are good indicators used in evaluating the health status of the terrestrial ecosystem and metallothionein (Mt) is a biomarker monitored during environmental studies. There is however a dearth of information on metallothioneins in African earthworms. Libyodrilus violaceous is a West African earthworm well investigated and reported including its tolerance to metal pollution but the presence of Mt gene in L. violaceous is not established.
The presence of Mt. in L. violaceous was determined to validate its potential role in metal tolerance. L. violaceous sampled from Ije-Ododo soil were exposed to varying concentrations of Cadmium (Cd) and Zinc (Zn) in a potted experimental set-up and the metallothionein (MT) expressions were determined. The presence of Mt gene and metallothionein expression were determined using whole transcriptome sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively after extracting Ribonucleic acid (RNA) from samples on the 1 st, 3rd and 7th days. The genetic relationship of the detected MT protein sequence was compared to existing MT protein sequences and a phylogenetic tree was constructed.
We established the presence of the MT gene and the phylogenetic tree showed that it had a relationship with other earthworms' MTs. Up-regulation of Mt. expression was observed on the 7th day in L.violaceous exposed to concentrations of Cd and Zn.
One of the modes of survival of L. violaceous to metal pollution is by the up-regulation of metallothioneins. This earthworm metallothionein protein sequence is the first report of species in the Eudriloides family and the first report in African earthworms deposited in the GenBank repository for reference. The use of L.violaceous for Cd and Zn remediation in soils could be exploited.
•The mt gene of an African indigenous earthworm, L. violaceous is established.•The metallothionein gene and protein sequence of earthworm species from the Eudrilidae family are reported.•Cadmium and Zinc induced the expression of metallothionein in L. violaceous. |
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ISSN: | 2452-0144 2452-0144 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.genrep.2020.100701 |