Characterization and expression of superoxide dismutase genes in Chironomus riparius (Diptera, Chironomidae) larvae as a potential biomarker of ecotoxicity

Sun Young Park, Prakash M.Gopalakrishnan Nair, Jinhee Choi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Scopus citations

Abstract

Superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) is an enzyme involved in the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) into molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. In this study, a copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-ZnSOD) gene and a manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) gene in aquatic midge, Chironomus riparius (CrSODs) was identified using an Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) database generated by 454 pyrosequencing. A multiple sequence alignment of C. riparius sequences revealed high homology with other insect sequences in terms of the amino acid level. Phylogenetic analysis of the CrSODs revealed that they were grouped with SODs of other organisms, such as Polypedilum vanderplanki, Drosophila melanogaster, Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, Culex quinquefasciatus and Bombyx mori. Expression of the corresponding CrSODs was analyzed during different developmental stages and following exposure to various environmental contaminants with different mode of actions i.e., paraquat, cadmium, benzo[a]pyrene, and chloropyrifos. CrSOD gene expression was significantly up or down regulated in response to exposure to the chemicals tested. The overall results suggested that SOD gene expression provided a platform for the understanding of oxidative stress responses caused by exposure to various environmental contaminants, and the SOD genes could be used as biomarkers for environmental disturbances such as oxidative stress initiated by xenobiotics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)187-194
Number of pages8
JournalComparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part - C: Toxicology and Pharmacology
Volume156
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2012

Keywords

  • Biomarker
  • Chironomus riparius
  • Oxidative stress
  • Superoxide dismutase genes

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