Changes in the Gill Lipid Composition of Freshwater Mussel Anodonta cygnea under the Influence of Copper in Various Concentrations

Abstract

Changes in the composition of reserve and membrane lipids in the gills of freshwater mussel Anodonta cygnea L., 1758 in response to the effect of copper at different concentrations (5, 50, 100, and 250 μg/L) are studied. Modifications in the content of phospholipids and their fatty acids depended on the duration of the copper effect: the unsaturation of phospholipids fatty acids increased on the 1st day of copper exposure and decreased on the 3rd day. By the end of the experiment (on the seventh day), changes in the lipid composition were determined by the copper concentration: relatively low concentrations (5 and 50 μg/L) caused a decrease in the unsaturation of fatty acids in phospholipids, while the high copper concentration (250 μg/L), on the contrary, contributed to its increase. It is shown that the transformation of the structural organization of membrane lipids and their fatty acids in A. cygnea under the effect of copper at different concentrations is based on internal reserves (triacylglycerols) and the additional synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids.