Impact Assessment of Diesel Oil on the Zhe Oyster (Crassostrea plicatula) Using RAPD Analysis

Abstract

The lethal and sublethal effects of oils on aquatic organisms have been widely investigated, but the potential molecular impacts of oils on aquatic organisms are remaining unclear now. In order to realize the effects of diesel oil on the Zhe oyster, the RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) technique was used. RAPD is a useful assay procedure for the detection of genotoxin-induced DNA damage and mutations. In the present study, the Zhe oysters were exposed to diesel oil at different concentrations and for different exposure periods. The results showed that the DNA band change in RAPD profiles of oysters following diesel oil treatment included loss of normal DNA bands, the appearance of new DNA bands and variations in DNA intensity compared to oysters not exposed to diesel oil. The effects of changes to GTS (genome template stability) were time- and concentration-dependent, the GTS of 10 mg/L was 82.46%, 80.70% and 63.15% in the 8, 16 and 32 days, the GTS of 20 mg/L was 75.44%, 71.93% and 56.14% in the 8, 16 and 32 days, the GTS of 40 mg/L was 73.68%, 70.18% and 56.14% in the 8, 16 and 32 days, respectively. The DNA polymorphisms detected by RAPD analysis could be used as a useful biomarker assay for the detection of genotoxic effects in diesel oil pollution on the oysters, and may be useful for environmental contamination risk assessment.