Upregulation of hemolymph and tissue ferritin by dietary HgCl2 in the wax moth Galleria mellonella

Abstract

AbstractThe effect of Hg treatment on hemolymph and tissue ferritin in the wax moth Galleria mellonella was examined by western blotting. At 48 h after feeding HgCl2, the level of hemolymph ferritin increased approximately 1.8‐fold over that of control insects that were not fed HgCl2, while there was a small increase in tissue ferritin. Time series experiments showed that tissue ferritin had a typically saturated pattern, with a maximum level from 24 to 72 h, although it decreased 12 h following HgCl2 feeding, while hemolymph ferritin first decreased but subsequently increased. Tissue ferritin in the fat body, gut and Malpighian tubules, the main tissues of ferritin expression, was upregulated over time following treatment with Hg, and in particular, tissue ferritin in the gut increased by a large amount at 12–48 h. The results suggest that in G. mellonella, the ferritin‐inducible mechanisms following treatment with HgCl2 are different for hemolymph and tissue ferritin, as are their biochemical properties.