Marine Ecosystems under Toxic Pressure - Vulnerability of Coastal Ecosystems and Adaptation - page 12

of processes within the cell. This work focuses on the measurement of
cytochrome protein levels P450 (phases 1A and 3A) [MUR 97,
WEB 02], the measurement of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity
(EROD) [GOK 98, TEL 04, WHY 00] or the enzymes from the
glutathione-S-transferase family [GEO 94, KIM 10, VAR 89]. As an
example, Figure 1.3 shows a correlation between levels of
contamination and EROD activity [BUR 94, GAL 91]. These
molecular biomarkers are not, however, specific to the contaminants
that trigger their activation, and their responses are potentially affected
by biotic or abiotic factors.
Figure 1.3. a) Contamination in mussels (ng.g -1 ) on European coasts by PCB from
measurements in RNO 1991; b) correlation between EROD activity (nMol produced
by enzymatic activity (resorufin), per minute and per mg of liver protein) and level of
contamination in PCB (ng.g -1 ) in samples of plaice [GAL 91] and c) EROD activity
(by the same units as (b)) in samples of flounder in the Bay of the Seine [BUR 94]