Subcellular distribution of major and minor elements in unexposed molluscs in Western Norway—III. The distribution and binding of cadmium, zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, iron and lead in the kidney and the digestive system of the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus

Abstract

1. 1. The subcellular distribution of Cd, Zn, Cu, Mg, Mn, Fe and Pb has been studied in the kidney and the digestive system of the horse mussel M. modiolus. Zinc, although principally paniculate bound, had a distribution in the kidney different from the digestive system. The other elements showed a similar distribution pattern in the two organ systems. 2. 2. Cd was principally recovered in the cytosols. During gel filtration on Sephadex G-75, more than 50% of the Cd from the kidney cytosol was recovered in the macromolecular fraction (void volume). In addition, the kidney contained two Cd-binders with mol. wts of 18,000 and 28,000 respectively. The digestive system contained one Cd-binder with a mol. wt of 17,000. This binder accounts for about 60–70% of total cytosol Cd. 3. 3. It is concluded that a common pattern for distribution and element handling could not be seen within the tissues examined.