A novel cadmium detoxification pathway in Tri-spine horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus): A 430-million-years-ago organism

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Mar 1:252:114585. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114585. Epub 2023 Jan 30.

Abstract

Marine and intertidal heavy metal pollution has been a major concern in recent years. Tachypleus tridentatus has existed on earth for more than 430 million years. It has suffered a sharp decline in population numbers caused by environmental pollution and anthropogenic disturbance for almost 40 years. However, the effects of heavy metal pollution on juvenile T. tridentatus have not been reported. Here we show the mechanism of cadmium (Cd) detoxification in juvenile T. tridentatus using integrated antioxidant indexes and transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. High Cd2+ concentration caused oxidative stress in juvenile T. tridentatus. The hazards increase with increasing Cd2+ concentration in juvenile T. tridentatus. Transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses concluded that high Cd2+ concentration resulted in the imbalance of glycerophospholipid metabolism in juvenile T. tridentatus to detoxify Cd. Our results offer a rationale for protective measures and further studies of heavy metal stress in T. tridentatus.

Keywords: ARP5; Cd; Glycerophospholipid metabolism; Metabolomics; Transcriptomics.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cadmium* / toxicity
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Horseshoe Crabs* / genetics
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • Cadmium