Phase I and II biotransformation and antioxidant enzymes in the coral Siderastrea siderea act as biomarkers for reproductive condition and habitat quality

Abstract

In this study we examined the behaviour of biomarkers in corals combining the reproductive status of colonies and reef sites with different levels of contamination. The content of P₄₅₀ and P₄₂₀ and the activities of NADPH c reductase, glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dimutase (SOD) were measured in the coral Siderastrea siderea at two marine parks. Parque Nacional Morrocoy (PNM) encompasses a continental marine ecosystem largely influenced by anthropogenic impacts. In contrast, Parque Nacional Archipielago Los Roques (PNALR) is 160 km offshore and relatively less impacted. As these enzymes are also affected by reproduction, samples were taken in both parks during the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. In both parks, NADPH c reductase and GST were higher in the reproductive than in the non-reproductive season. Differences in enzymatic content or activity in corals from the two parks were usually more prominent during the reproductive season. Hence, P₄₅₀ and P₄₂₀ were undetectable during the non-reproductive season, while during the reproductive season, P₄₂₀ was highest in colonies from the most impacted park (PNM). Activities of NADPH c reductase, CAT and SOD were also higher at PNM than at PNALR, while GST was an exception to this trend. Our results show that the aforementioned enzymes act as biomarkers in the coral S. siderea, changing in relation to its reproductive status and with the habitat quality.

Keywords:

• Biomarkers
• coral
• marine pollution
• reproductive cycle
• Siderastrea siderea
• Venezuela

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Inparques and Fundación Científica Los Roques for their logistic support while sampling at Los Roques; we are also grateful to Pablo Mata for field assistance and to N. Acosta, M. Caputo, M. Navarro, M.A. Cuenca and A. Hernández for their help with tissue extraction and histology. C. Bosque and L.M. Marquez made helpful comments to improve this manuscript. This work was supported by FONACIT (projects S1-2001000368 and G-2001000599) and Decanato de Investigación de la Universidad Simon Bolivar.

Notes

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark