TY - JOUR
T1 - Metallomic mapping of gut and brain in heavy metal exposed earthworms
T2 - A novel paradigm in ecotoxicology
AU - Karpov, Maxim A.
AU - Hobbs, Carl
AU - Jayasinghe, Suwan N.
AU - Stürzenbaum, Stephen R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/5/21
Y1 - 2024/5/21
N2 - This study explored the uptake of lead in the epigeic earthworm Dendrobaena veneta exposed to 0, 1000, and 2500 μg Pb/g soil. The soil metal content was extracted using strong acid digestion and water leaching, and analysed by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to estimate absolute and bioavailable concentrations of metals in the soil. The guts and heads of lead-exposed earthworms were processed into formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded sections for high-resolution multi-element metallomic imaging via Laser Ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS). Metallomic maps of phosphorus, zinc, and lead were produced at 15-μm resolution in the head and gut of D. veneta. Additional 4-μm resolution metallomic maps of the earthworm brains were taken, revealing the detailed localisation of metals in the brain. The Pb bioaccumulated in the chloragogenous tissues of the earthworm in a dose-dependent manner, making it possible to track the extent of soil contamination. The bioaccumulation of P and Zn in earthworm tissues was independent of Pb exposure concentration. This approach demonstrates the utility of LA-ICP-MS as a powerful approach for ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessments.
AB - This study explored the uptake of lead in the epigeic earthworm Dendrobaena veneta exposed to 0, 1000, and 2500 μg Pb/g soil. The soil metal content was extracted using strong acid digestion and water leaching, and analysed by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to estimate absolute and bioavailable concentrations of metals in the soil. The guts and heads of lead-exposed earthworms were processed into formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded sections for high-resolution multi-element metallomic imaging via Laser Ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS). Metallomic maps of phosphorus, zinc, and lead were produced at 15-μm resolution in the head and gut of D. veneta. Additional 4-μm resolution metallomic maps of the earthworm brains were taken, revealing the detailed localisation of metals in the brain. The Pb bioaccumulated in the chloragogenous tissues of the earthworm in a dose-dependent manner, making it possible to track the extent of soil contamination. The bioaccumulation of P and Zn in earthworm tissues was independent of Pb exposure concentration. This approach demonstrates the utility of LA-ICP-MS as a powerful approach for ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessments.
KW - Chloragogenous tissues
KW - Earthworm
KW - Ecotoxicology
KW - LA-ICP-MS
KW - Lead bioaccumulation
KW - Soil analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189092439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149827
DO - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149827
M3 - Article
C2 - 38554600
AN - SCOPUS:85189092439
SN - 0006-291X
VL - 709
JO - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
JF - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
M1 - 149827
ER -