Heat pretreatment increases cadmium resistance and HSP 70 levels in Baltic Sea mussels

Abstract

The effects of heat treatment and cadmium exposure on the synthesis of a major stress inducible protein (hsp 70) and on the metabolism of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis L. from the Baltic Sea, were studied in a laboratory experiment. The mussels were kept in sea water of ambient salinity (6.3‰) and temperature (4°C). The effects of cadmium (20 μg l −1), measured as changes in physiological rates (oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, clearance rates and scope for growth) and hsp 70 expression were studied at 4°C and in combination with a rapid rise in temperature to 20°C. Relatively low levels of hsp 70 were detected but the negative effect was reflected in a reduction of scope for growth of the exposed mussels compared to controls. This effect was more pronounced at 20°C. Mussels not exposed to cadmium in the first experiment were used in a second set of experiments. Heat shocked mussels were allowed to reacclimatise to 4°C for 5 days and then, along with the mussels already at 4°C, exposed to cadmium (20 μg l −1). The results clearly indicated that the mussels exposed to 20°C in the first experiment more rapidly induced synthesis of hsp 70 after cadmium exposure in the second experiment. Also the reacclimatised mussels exposed to heat shock but not to cadmium in the first experiment, induced some hsp 70 in the second experiment. This suggests that the rate of induction of heat shock or stress proteins in Baltic mussels is slower than what has been described for mussels from more marine environments. The mussels kept at 4°C throughout the experiment and exposed to cadmium showed low levels of hsp 70, again indicating a low rate of induction. The increasing levels of hsp 70 correlated well with a maintained level of physiological fitness, in terms of scope for growth, although the mussels showed increasing body burdens of cadmium.