Intertidal blue mussels display physiological adaptations to emersion-submersion cycle that can be impacted by response to chemicals. In order to study the interference of cellular response to pollutants on intertidal physiology, we analysed proteomic (2-DE) responses in gills of mussels exposed for 14 days to regular emersion (intertidal condition) or continuous submersion (subtidal condition) and to a mixture (B[a]P/phenantrene) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Antioxidant activities were measured as general stress markers. In clean context, emersion generated several over-expressions of proteins mainly involved in cytoskeleton, chaperoning, energetic metabolism and transcription regulation. Mussels exposed to PAHs showed equivalent accumulation levels of contaminants in both physiological conditions but an increased GST activity specifically in intertidal context, highlighting the high degree of stress underwent in this group, as well as over-expressions of Cu/Zn SOD and stress proteins in subtidal context. Presence of contaminants partly impacted the response to emersion: cytoskeletal rearrangements and energetic adjustments were mostly maintained whereas stress response was dramatically altered. These findings highlight the potential adverse effects of toxicants on physiological adjustments linked to air-exposure, thus suggesting to take into account in the evaluation of environmental risk the multiplicity of stresses that wild animals are likely to encounter.
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