Short-term uptake of microcystin-LR by Coregonus lavaretus: GST activity and genotoxicity

In the present study, juvenile whitefish weighing 2 g were exposed by force-feeding to two ecologically relevant doses (0.05 and 0.5 μg per fish) of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). Then over 96 h the MC uptake in fish liver and muscle was measured, as the activity of the detoxification enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the liver, and the genotoxicity impact on red blood cells. Results show that (1) the MC-LR equivalent concentrations increased for both doses and in both organs of whitefish with approximately threefold lower concentrations for the low dose compared to the high dose in both organs and threefold lower concentrations in the muscle compared to the liver for each dose (2) the liver GST activity increased during the first 48 h of exposure with fivefold higher GST activity for the highest dose at 48 h compared to control and (3) MC-LR leads to deoxyribonucleic acid strand breaks that were detected by the comet assay and shown to be partially repaired. This work demonstrates that European whitefish could be impacted by cyanobacteria toxins due to rapid microcystin uptake, especially in the context of chronic contamination, which can occur during long bloom episodes.