Biomarkers of Defense, Tolerance, and Ecological Consequences - Ecological Biomarkers: Indicators of Ecotoxicological Effects - page 48

TABLE 3.1 (Continued)
Metal Tolerance in Organisms Chronically Exposed to Metal Pollution in the Field or Preexposed
in the Laborato ry

Taxon Species Element Reference

Crustacean Eriocheir sinensis Cd Silvestre et al. 2006 and literature

quoted therein

Insect Chironomus tentans (larvae) Mixture (Cd,

Cr, Zn)
Cd

Wentsel et al. 1978
Postma and Davids 1995

Insect Chironomus riparius (larvae) Cd, Zn Miller and Hendricks 1996;

Groenendijk et al. 2002

Insects Hydropsyche spp.

Baetis spp.

Cu Cain et al. 2004

Insects Hydropsyche betteni (larvae) Zn Balch et al. 2000

Fish Fundulus heteroclitus Methylmercury Burnett et al. 2007

Fish Heterandria formosa Cd Xie and Klerks 2004

Fish Catostomus commersoni Cd, Cu Duncan and Klaverkamp 1983;

Munkittrick and Dixon 1988

Fish Salmo gairdnerii Zn Bradley et al. 1985

Fish Oncorhynchus mykiss Cd, Cu, Zn In McGeer et al. 2000; Chowdhury

et al. 2004

Fish Gobio gobio Cd Knapen et al. 2004

Fish Gambusia affinis Cd Annabi et al. 2009

2004). In another crustacean, the isopod Platynympha longicaudata , field exposure to metal-
rich effluents from a smelter functioning since 1889 had induced an enhanced tolerance
to experimental metal exposure in comparison with populations from reference sites as
well as a significant decrease in genetic diversity (Ross et al. 2002). In the crab Eriocheir
sinensis , preexposure to cadmium induced an increased tolerance to an acute subsequent
exposure. This is partly due to MT induction but also involved disulfide bond protection,
and enhancement of cell antioxidant capacity and protein degradation potential (Silvestre
et al. 2006).
In the fish Heterandria formosa , an experimental selection of tolerance to cadmium was
carried out over eight generations, leading to a three times longer survival to acute expo-
sure and a reduction of genetic variation (Xie and Klerks 2004; Athrey et al. 2007). In an
area in the North Ontario impacted by mining activities (Ag, Cu, Zn), despite metal con-
centrations shown to be toxic under other conditions, fertilization rate and gamete quality
were not impaired in the fish Catostomus commersoni . Larvae from the contaminated site
also showed an increased tolerance during the period of reliance on yolk reserves, but this
effect was no longer observed as soon as individuals began eating (Munkittrick and Dixon
1988). In fish Melantaenia nigrans exposed to copper in their environment for more than
40 years, 96 h EC 50 s were 8.3 times higher than those in controls. Reduced copper uptake
by gills and the selection of less sensitive allozymes (AAT-1 and GPI-1) could explain this
tolerance (Gale et al. 2003). In several estuaries along the Atlantic coast of North America,
the Atlantic killifish ( Fundulus heteroclitus ) and the Atlantic tomcod ( Microgadus tomcod ) are
resistant to organic chemicals including PCBs, PCDDs, and PAHs. Mechanisms respon-
sible for tolerance have given rise to numerous studies, which have been recently reviewed
(Romeo and Wirgin in Amiard-Triquet et al. 2011; Wirgin et al. 2011). Differential tolerance