| Autor: |
Papadopoulos DK; Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece., Lattos A; Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece., Giantsis IA; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece., Theodorou JA; Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, University of Patras, Mesolonghi, Greece., Michaelidis B; Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece., Feidantsis K; Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. |
| Abstrakt: |
In biofouling communities, ascidians are among the most damaging species, presenting severe threats, such as depressed growth rates and decreased chances of lower survival, to shellfish aquaculture. However, little is known concerning the fouled shellfish physiology. In an effort to obtain information for the magnitude of stress caused by ascidians to farmed Mytilus galloprovincialis, five seasonal samplings took place in a mussel aquaculture farm suffering from ascidian biofoulants, in Vistonicos Bay, Greece. The dominant ascidian species were recorded and several stress biomarkers, including Hsp gene expression at both mRNA and protein levels, as well as MAPKs levels, and enzymatic activities of intermediate metabolism were examined. Almost all investigated biomarkers revealed elevated stress levels in fouled mussels compared to non-fouled. This enhanced physiological stress seems to be season-independent and can be attributed to the oxidative stress and/or feed deprivation caused by ascidian biofouling, thus illuminating the biological impact of this phenomenon. |
