- Environmental Evaluation
- Published:
A biochemical approach to assessment of effects of organic pollution on the metabolism of the non-opportunistic polychaete,Glycera alba
Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen volume 33, pages 546–555 (1980)
Abstract
Loch Creran and Loch Eil, sea lochs in the west of Scotland, both receive discharges of particulate organic effluent from industrial installations.Glycera alba (Müller) is widely distributed in the sediments of both lochs, and assays of activities of enzymes associated with energy-yielding metabolism have been done on crude extracts of specimens collected from variously affected areas. Mean phosphofructokinase activities were low in extracts ofG. alba collected some 400 m from the source of effluent from a seaweed processing factory, increased to a maximum at 900 m and declined slightly at 1150 m where the sediment is little affected by the effluent. Pyruvate kinase activities exhibited qualitatively similar changes of lesser magnitude and no differences ina-glycerophosphate or malate dehydrogenase activities were observed. InG. alba from Loch Eil a relationship was established between phosphofructokinase activity and Eh at 4 cm in the sediment and the maximum change in phosphofructokinase was found at low Eh, below −50 mV. The data are interpreted with reference to results from biological and environmental monitoring in Lochs Eil and Creran. It is suggested that the low phosphofructokinase activities inG. alba from the most affected areas of each loch may constitute a consistent biochemical response to effects of the organic inputs.
Literature Cited
Bayne, B. L., Livingstone, D. R., Moore, M. N. & Widdows, J., 1976. A cytochemical and a biochemical index of stress inMytilus edulis L. — Mar. Pollut. Bull.,7, 221–224.
Blackstock, J., 1978. Activites of some enzymes associated with energy yielding metabolism inGlycera alba (Müller) from three areas of Loch Eil. In: Physiology and behaviour of marine organisms. Ed. by D. S. McLuskey & A. J. Berry. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 11–20.
Blackstock, J., 1980. Estimation of activities of some enzymes associated with energy yielding metabolism in the marine polychaete worm,Glycera alba (Müller) and application of the methods to the study of organic pollution effect. — J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. (In press.)
Blackstock, J. & Pearson, T. H., 1979. Studies onCapitella capitata. In: Cyclic phenomena in marine plants and animals. Ed. by E. Naylor & R. G. Hartnoll. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 470 pp.
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L. & Randall, R. J., 1951. Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent. — J. biol. Chem.,193, 265–275.
Mansour, T. E., 1972. Phosphofructokinase. — Curr. Top. cell. Regul.5, 1–46.
Newsholme, E. A., 1977. The regulation of intracellular and extracellular fuel supply during sustained exercise. — Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.301, 81–91.
Ockelmann, K. W. & Vahl, O., 1970. On the biology of the polychaete,Glycera alba, especially its burrowing and feeding. — Ophelia8, 275–294.
Pearson, T. H., 1975. The benthic biology of Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil, a sea loch system on the west coast of Scotland. IV. Changes in the benthic fauna attributable to organic enrichment. — J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol.20, 1–41.
Pearson, T. H. & Rosenberg, R., 1978. Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment. — Oceanogr. mar. Biol.16, 229–311.
Pearson, T. H. & Stanley, S. O., 1977. Loch Creran survey. Organic Degradation Group, Scottish Marine Biological Association, Oban, 50 pp.
Pearson, T. H. & Stanley, S. O., 1979. The comparative measurement of the redox potential of marine sediments as a rapid means of assessing the effect of organic pollution. — Mar. Biol.53, 371–379.
Reish, D. J., 1972. The use of marine invertebrates as indicators of varying degrees of marine pollution. In: Marine pollution and sea life. Ed. by R. Ruivo. Fishing News Books, London, 203–207.
Siegel, S., 1965. Non-parametric statistics for the behavioural sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York, 312 pp.
Snedecor, G. W., 1956. Statistical methods. The Iowa State College Press, Iowa, 485 pp.
Zammit, V. A. & Newsholme, E. A., 1976. The maximum activities of hexokinase, phosphorylase, phosphofructokinase, glycerol phosphate dehydrogenases, lactate dehydrogenase, octopine dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase and arginine kinase in relation to carbohydrate utilisation in muscles from marine invertebrates. — Biochem. J.160, 447–462.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blackstock, J. A biochemical approach to assessment of effects of organic pollution on the metabolism of the non-opportunistic polychaete,Glycera alba . Helgolander Meeresunters 33, 546–555 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02414778
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02414778