New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Quantitation of metallothionein mRNA from the New Zealand common bully
(Gobiomorphus cotidianus) and its implications for biomonitoring
Andrew D. Laurie*
Landcare Research-Manaaki Whenua
P.O. Box 69
Lincoln 8152, New Zealand
*Present address: Canterbury Health Laboratories, P.O. Box
151, Christchurch, New Zealand. email: Andrew.Laurie@cdhb.govt.nz
Abstract Metallothionein (MT) is a protein found in
most eukaryotes where its primary role is the regulation of homeostasis of
the essential metals copper and zinc. MTs have an additional protective role
through their binding of toxic metals such as cadmium and mercury. Increased
expression of MT in response to harmful levels of these metals has been demonstrated
for several aquatic species. In this study, the expression of MT in the liver
tissue of the New Zealand common bully Gobiomorphus cotidianus was
measured by quantifying MT mRNA. A statistically significant increase in
MT expression was observed in fish exposed to copper for 48 h, but not those
exposed to zinc. Field sampling of common bullies showed a wide variation
in individual hepatic MT mRNA levels which did not correlate with fish age,
sex, or sampling location. A comparison of two populations of common bullies
from a polluted and a control site showed a two-fold higher mean MT mRNA
level in fish from the polluted site. Implications for using MT expression
in the common bully as a bio-monitoring tool are discussed.
Keywords metallothionein; Taqman-PCR; mRNA; Gobiomorphus
cotidianus; biomarker; sentinel species
M04056; Online publication date 24 November 2004 Received 15 April 2004;
accepted 6 September 2004
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2004, Vol. 38:
869–877
0028–8330/04/3805–0869 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2004
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