Effect of mercury on the total and electrophoretic profile of proteins and on the activity of three enzymes in mantle of three species of freshwater clam : Unio tigridis, Pseudontopsis euphraticus and Anodonta spp Abd Ali Taker, Sulaf M. Ahmed

Abstract

A three species of clam Unio tigridis, Pseudontopsis euphraticus and
Anodonta sp. were collected from Al-Habaniya lake, Al-Angor region/Iraq
.The animals were exposed to three concentrations of mercury :0.1, 0.2 and
0.4 mg/L . First group of animals were exposed for three weeks ,second
group for two weeks and the third group for one week. At the end of the
exposure period, the animals were dissected ,then the mantle removed for the
further studies on proteins and enzymes. The results were :
1- Total protein concentration in the mantle decreased in the three
species of clam exposed to mercury. It was observed that a
prominent effect of mercury on the electrophoretic bands of
proteins with the decrease in the intensity of protein bands or
induction of new bands.
2- The activity of the three enzymes : Alkaline phosphatase , ALT
and AST were not stable, either increasing or decreasing
according to the different species and concentration of the
mercury , for example the activity of alkaline phosphatase
increased in the mantle of the first species at lower and
decreased at the second concentration but decreased in third
species at different concentrations . The activity of ALT
increased in the mantle of the first species at all concentrations
of mercuy, while the activity of AST decreased in the mantle of
the first species and increased at the two other concentrations
but decreased in the mantle of third species .
3- We concluded from this study that , the clam responses to the
mercury in the environment, which caused a changes in proteins
and enzymes. These changes can be used as an indicator to the
water pollution with the mercury .