Parvalbumin and Ubiquitin as Potential Biomarkers of Mercury Contamination of Amazonian Brazilian Fish

Author(s)

Souza Vieira, Jose Cavalcante ^{[1, 2]} ; de Oliveira, Grasieli ^[1] ; Braga, Camila Pereira ^[3] ; Fernandes, Mileni da Silva ^[4] ; de Moraes, Paula Martin ^[5] ; Rabelo Buzalaf, Marilia Afonso ^[4] ; Silva de Oliveira, Lincoln Carlos ^[2] ; Padilha, Pedro de Magalhaes ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Sao Paulo State Univ UNESP, Inst Biosci, Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[2] Fed Univ Mato Grosso do Sul UFMS, Campo Grande, MS - Brazil

^[3] Univ Nebraska, Dept Biochem, Lincoln, NE 68583 - USA

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, USP, Bauru, SP - Brazil

^[5] Dom Bosco Catholic Univ UCDB, Local Dev, Campo Grande, MS - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH; v. 197, n. 2, p. 667-675, OCT 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated the association of mercury (Hg) with some fish proteins, milk, and hair from individuals exposed to the element in the Amazon. However, few studies involve identifying biomarkers of mercury exposure. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify potential biomarkers of Hg exposure in fish. For this, the muscular tissues of two species of fish (Prochilodus lineatusandMylossoma duriventre) that feed the Amazonian human population were analyzed. Through the analyses obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), it was possible to identify four protein SPOTS where mercury was present. These SPOTS, identified by mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), included parvalbumin and ubiquitin-40S ribosomal protein S27a, and these being metalloproteins with biomarker characteristics. In addition, the results show the intense Hg/protein ratio observed in the two proteins, which makes metalloproteins strong candidates for biomarkers of mercury exposure. Graphical (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/02668-1 - Utilization of metalloproteomic strategies for metallothionein evaluation in liver tissue samples of fishes collected in the reservoir of Ahe Jirau - Madeira River Basin, RO, Brazil
• Grantee: José Cavalcante Souza Vieira
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/21297-1 - Metallothioneins in fish from Amazon Region: metallomic study associated to mercury
• Grantee: Pedro de Magalhães Padilha
• Support type: Regular Research Grants