Copper-impaired chemosensory function and behavior in aquatic animals
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Date
2007
Authors
Pyle, Gregory
Mirza, Reehan S.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
Chemosensation is one of the oldest and most important sensory modalities utilized
by aquatic animals to provide information about the location of predators,
location of prey, sexual status of potential mates, genetic relatedness of kin, and
migratory routes, among many other essential processes. The impressive sophistication
of chemical communication systems among aquatic animals probably evolved
because of the selective pressures exerted by water as a “universal solvent.” Impairment
of chemosensation by toxicants at the molecular or cellular level can potentially
lead to major perturbations at higher levels of biological organization. We have examined
the consequences of metal-impaired chemosensory function in a range of
aquatic animals that represents several levels of a typical aquatic ecosystem. In each
case, low, environmentally relevant metal concentrations were sufficient to cause
chemosensory dysfunction. Because the underlying molecular signal transduction
machinery of chemosensory systems demonstrates a high degree of phylogenetic
conservation, we speculate that metal-impaired chemosensation among phylogenetically
disparate animal groups probably results from a common mechanism of
impairment. We propose developing a chronic chemosensory-based biotic ligand
model (BLM) that maintains the advantages of the current BLM approach, while simultaneously
overcoming known difficulties of the current gill-based approach and
increasing the ecological relevance of current BLM predictions.
Description
Sherpa Romeo green journal
Keywords
Daphnia , Leeches , Fish , Chemosensory dysfunction , Metals
Citation
Pyle, G.G. and R.S. Mirza. 2007. Copper-impaired chemosensory function and behavior in aquatic animals. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment,13: 492-505. Invited contribution.