Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Linking Lysosomal Biomarkers and Ecotoxicological
Effects at Higher Biological Levels
Michael N. Moore, Aldo G. Viarengo, Paul J. Somerfield, and Susanna Sforzini
CONTENTS
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 107
5.1.1 Can Lysosomal Function Be Used to Assess Health of Aquatic
Environment? ......................................................................................................... 108
5.2 Background and Rationale ............................................................................................... 110
5.2.1 Background on Lysosomal and Autophagic Processes in Cellular
Physiology and Disease ........................................................................................ 110
5.2.2 Development and Use of Lysosomal Biomarkers in Assessing Effects
of Environmental Stressors .................................................................................. 111
5.2.3 Aim and Objectives ............................................................................................... 112
5.3 Lysosomal Responses and Pathological Reactions to Environmental Stressors ...... 113
5.4 Linking Lysosomal Biomarkers with Other Ecotoxicological Effects ........................ 113
5.4.1 Physiological Relevance of Lysosomal and Autophagic Responses .............. 113
5.4.2 Accumulation of Pollutant Chemicals in Lysosomes and Oxidative Stress ...... 114
5.4.3 Environmental Stress and Failed Autophagy Leading to Pathology and
Disease ..................................................................................................................... 115
5.4.4 Linking Lysosomal and Autophagic Responses to Higher Level Effects ........ 117
5.5 Can Lysosomal Biomarkers Be Developed for New Applications? ............................ 119
5.5.1 Understanding the Broader Significance of Autophagy in Evolution
of Tolerance to Fluctuating Environments and Pollutant Stress ..................... 119
5.5.2 Extending Lysosomal Biomarkers to Nonmarine Environments .................. 120
5.6 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 122
References ..................................................................................................................................... 123
5.1 Introduction
Distress signals from environmental sentinel animals such as marine mussels can be
used as biomarkers of harmful effects and exposure to stressors including chemical con-
taminants. Such biomarkers include responses at the molecular, cellular, and physiologi-
cal levels of biological organization; and some of these can be prognostic for pathological
reactions to environmental stress (Depledge et al. 1993; Depledge 1994, 1999; Moore et al.
2004a, b). A major challenge facing ecotoxicologists is to integrate individual biomarker
responses into a set of tools and indices capable of detecting and monitoring the degrada-
tion in health of a particular type of sentinel organism.
107
 
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