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Abstract : |
This study focused on the analysis of polyubiquitin gene expression in Biomphalaria arabica after exposure to heat stress (42أƒâ€ڑأ‚آ°C, 1-h), a treatment known to induce polyubiquitin gene expression from cell stress responsive promoters, and exposure to lethal and sublethal levels of cadmium (1, 2 and 3 mg/L, 336-h). Polyadenylated RNA was extracted and polyubiquitin gene expression was analysed using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction technology (RT-PCR) with primers complement to the 3` and 5` prime regions of ubiquitin repeats (polyubiquitin). Results were expressed in arbitrary units as a ratio of optical density of polyubiquitn/ actin electrophoretic bands. In heat stressed snails, the expression was 0.242 أƒâ€ڑأ‚آ± 0.012 and 0.785 أƒâ€ڑأ‚آ± 0.039 for control and heat-treated individuals, respectively. After cadmium exposure, the expression was 0.327 أƒâ€ڑأ‚آ± 0.013, 0.298 أƒâ€ڑأ‚آ± 0.012, 0.523 أƒâ€ڑأ‚آ± 0.021 and 0.612 أƒâ€ڑأ‚آ± 0,024 at concentrations of 1, 2 and 3 mg/L respectively. This suggests that alterations in polyubiquitin gene expression may be crucial to withstand cadmium toxicity and may be considered as a biomonitor for toxicity., |
