Study metallothionein associated with mercury in fish of the Amazon Region

• Grant number: 14/02638-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Pedro de Magalhães Padilha
• Grantee: Bruna Cavecci Mendonça
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Fish is an important source of protein with high biological value, vitamins and minerals. However, this food is also a major route of human exposure to toxic contaminants such as methylmercury (MeHg). Thus, their accumulation in fish may predispose serious risks for human health. The high levels of mercury found in soil, sediments, fish and humans in the Brazilian Amazon have been studied extensively by the scientific community in recent decades, seeking to elucidate mechanisms of toxicity of mercury species. The mercury species bind preferentially to metallothioneins - proteins of molecular weight below 10 kDa, which are characterized by having sulfur-containing amino acid residues, such as the cysteine. This may mean that the bioavailable fraction of the mercury species in the different species of fish can be dependent on how they are related to proteins. Therefore this proposed study aims to optimize: procedures for 2D-PAGE electrophoresis for fractionation and identification of metallothionein responsible for the transport of mercury in fish samples of muscle and liver of fish collected at the reservoir from AHE JIRAU - Madeira River Basin; a method for determination of mercury by GFAAS in spots protein obtained; assess oxidative stress contaminated with mercury through the activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the concentration of lipid hydroperoxide fish (HP); characterization of mercury metallothionein carriers by ESI-MS analysis, and finally the expression of these proteins is looking for possible correlation with the incorporation of mercury in fish bodies. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CAVECCI-MENDONCA, BRUNA; DE SOUZA VIEIRA, JOSE CAVALCANTE; DE LIMA, PAULA MONTEIRO; LEITE, ALINE LIMA; RABELO BUZALAF, MARILIA AFONSO; ZARA, LUIZ FABRICIO; PADILHA, PEDRO DE MAGALHAES. Study of proteins with mercury in fish from the Amazon region. Food Chemistry, v. 309, MAR 20 2020. (14/02638-5, 16/19404-2, 13/21297-1)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MENDONÇA, Bruna Cavecci. Study of proteins associated to mercury in fishes of the amazon region. 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Botucatu Botucatu.