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Digestive proteases of the lugworm ( Arenicola marina ) inhibited by Cu from contaminated sediments
Author(s) -
Chen Zhen,
Mayer Lawrence M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620170313
Subject(s) - arenicola , environmental chemistry , proteases , titration , sediment , chemistry , incubation , contamination , enzyme , biology , copper , protease , substrate (aquarium) , biochemistry , ecology , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , paleontology
We examined potential toxic effects of copper released from contaminated sediments during deposit feeding of the lugworm, Arenicola marina. Titration of Cu solution into gut fluids can result in decreases in protease activity if sufficient Cu is added. The effects of Cu on gut proteases were confirmed by incubation of gut fluids with Cu‐contaminated harbor sediments. Monitoring of Cu titration into gut fluids shows that enzyme inhibition and quenching of gut protein fluorescence occur only when sufficient Cu has been added to allow inorganic Cu species to become abundant. This threshold level probably represents the exhaustion of strong binding sites that act as protection against enzyme inhibition. Thus, sediments contaminated with Cu may have inhibitory effects on digestive processes in lugworms.