Water Hardness Alters the Gene Expression Response and Copper Toxicity in Daphnia magna

• The influence of water hardness on copper (Cu) toxicity in Daphnia magna was studied using gene expression analysis. Exposing D. magna to Cu in water with increasing levels of hardness decreased the acute toxicity. Hardness did not affect the predicted Cu complexation. After 24 h, D. magna showed an increased level of genes related to metal homeostasis (mt) following exposure to 25 mu g Cu/L in hard water. Daphnids in soft and medium water responded to 25 mu g Cu/L by upregulation of antioxidant defense and mt genes, revealing oxidative stress as a mechanism of Cu toxicity in D. magna. D. magna exposed to 25 mu g Cu/L in soft water did not survive for 96 h. In contrast, those exposed to 25 mu g Cu/L in medium and hard water survived for 96 h with significantly higher levels of mt genes. The genes related to oxidative damage (heat shock protein and glutathione S-transferase) in these groups did not deviate from control levels, indicating the protective effect of hardness. Metallothionein genes were upregulated at 17 mu g Cu/L at both 24 h and 96 h. The expression of catalase and ferritin increased in this group in soft and hard water at 96 h. The protective effect of hardness (in the tested range) on survival was also observed at a concentration of 25 mu g/L. The results suggest metallothionein (A and B), catalase, and ferritin genes, as potential biomarkers for copper exposure in D. magna regardless of hardness.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Mikrobiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Microbiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

gene expression

metal speciation

oxidative stress

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