engleski

Caging exposure of freshwater crayfish Astacus leptodactylus for in situ detection of pollution-related genotoxicity

Among the cellular components DNA is one of the main targets of environmental stress. Influence of environmental pollution was assessed by measuring DNA damage in haemocytes of caged freshwater crayfish Astacus leptodactylus by the means of the comet assay and micronucleus test. Animals were collected at the reference site (river Mrežnica) and exposed for a period of one week at the three sites of different pollution intensity along the river Sava (Zagreb, Sisak, Krapje). Separate crayfish group caged at the reference site was used as a control. On each location sediment was collected for chemical analysis. Statistically significant increase in DNA damage measured by the comet assay was observed at all three polluted sites comparing to the reference site. Micronuclei induction showed similar gradient of DNA damage, but did not reach the statistical significance. On the site Zagreb, representing medium polluted freshwater, individuals from mildly polluted site (Krapje) were exposed along with the ones from the reference site. After one week exposure individuals from mildly polluted site showed lower level of DNA damage than the ones from the reference site, indicating activity of adaptive mechanisms in animals from pollution stressed environment. In this study freshwater crustaceans were used for the first time as sentinel organisms in environmental genotoxicity studies. Our results have proved applicability of caging exposure of a freshwater crayfish A. leptodactylus in environmental biomonitoring and confirmed usefulness of comet assay and micronucleus test as suitable tools for detection of pollution-related genotoxicity.

comet assay; micronucleus test; Astacus leptodactylus; biomonitoring

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