Examples of phenotypic plasticity—the ability of organisms of identical genotypes to produce different phenotypes in response to the environment—are abundant, but often lack data on the causative physiology and biochemistry. Phenotypes associated with increased protection against or reduced damage from harmful environments may, in fact, be downstream effects of hidden adaptive responses that remain elusive to experimental measurement or be obscured by homeostatic or over-compensatory effects. The freshwater zooplankton crustacean Daphnia drastically increases its heat tolerance as the result of acclimation to high temperatures, an effect often assumed to be based on plastic responses allowing better protection against oxidative stress. Using several geographically distant Daphnia magna genotypes, we demonstrate that the more heat tolerant individuals have a higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) both in the comparison of heat-acclimated vs. non heat-acclimated females and in the comparison of females to age- and body size-matched males, which show lower heat tolerance than females. However, experimental manipulations of hypothesized antioxidant pathways by either glutathione addition or glutathione synthesis inhibition had no effect on heat tolerance. Lipid peroxidation (LPO), contrary to expectations, did not appear to be a predictive measure of susceptibility to thermal damage: LPO was higher, not lower, in more heat tolerant heat-acclimated individuals after exposure to a lethally high temperature. We hypothesize that LPO may be maintained in Daphnia at a constant level in the absence of acute exposure to elevated temperature and increase as a by-product of a possible protective antioxidant mechanism during such exposure. This conclusion is corroborated by the observed short-term and long-term changes in phospholipid composition that included an increase in fatty acid saturation at 28 °C and up-regulation of certain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Phospholipid composition was more strongly affected by recently experienced temperature (4-day transfer) than by long-term (2 generations) temperature acclimation. This is consistent with partial loss of thermal tolerance after a short-term switch to a reciprocal temperature. As predicted under the homeoviscous adaptation hypothesis, the more heat tolerant Daphnia showed lower membrane fluidity than their less heat tolerant counterparts, in comparison both between acclimation temperatures and among different genotypes. We conclude that thermal tolerance in Daphnia is influenced by total antioxidant capacity and membrane fluidity at high temperatures, with both effects possibly reflecting changes in phospholipid composition.

With increasing global plastics production, the amounts of fragmenting, microscopic plastic debris (microplastics, MPs) are anticipated to rise in aquatic environments. The ecological consequences of this pollution are currently unknown. Studies are being conducted at present to assess these risks but many have been shown to be uninformative from a risk assessment perspective due to flawed and environmentally unrealistic experimental designs; the main problem being confounding effects of food dilution due to the use of particle free controls. Natural particles, such as clay are in the microplastic-size range and ubiquitous in the environment. Hence, to counteract and improve on the poor experimental design to test microplastic effects, the aim of the study was to develop a simple, high throughput screening method which accounts for naturally occurring microparticles like suspended clay in mixtures with MP. Lethal and sub lethal effects of MP alone and in mixtures at different ratios were investigated. Single particle exposures revealed a significant and up to a hundred times higher LC50 for clay compared to the plastics. Among the plastics, weathered plastics were four to five times more toxic than the pristine forms. The mixtures indicated interaction effects of all particles and revealed toxic microplastic-specific effects. A mean decrease of 19 % in the protein content across all particle types was observed after 96 h, however, one plastic type showed a higher reduction in the protein content. Testing MPs effects in mixtures with natural particulates is important due to various interaction effects but more comparative studies with environmental relevant concentrations are required in future. / <p>Master thesis is used for further publication.</p> / WEATHER-MIC, irPLAST, MICROPOLL

No description available.

Poikilothermic organisms experience trade-offs associated with life at different temperatures caused by incompatible physiological and biochemical demands caused by temperature extremes. As the result many such organisms exhibit acclamatory effects, adjusting their metabolism and physiology to recently experiences temperatures. One such acclamatory effect is the metabolic compensation that allows an organism to withstand increases in temperature by decelerating biological rates below Arrhenius expectations, presumably reducing energetic demand and reducing stress. Daphnia magna is resilient across a wide temperature range, and if acclimated to mildly stressful temperatures first, exhibits longer survival in lethal temperatures. Certain genotypes of Daphnia also exhibit higher acute thermal tolerance than others, indicating the presence of genetic variation and local adaptation in heat tolerance. This study examined the effect of ambient temperature (5°C-37°C) and acclimation history (2 generations at 10°C or 25°C) on the oxygen consumption rates of 8 genotypes of Daphnia (4 with high acute temperature tolerance, and 4 low). There are nonlinear decelerations of Daphnia respiratory rates across a temperature gradient when acclimated to 25°C or following short 8-hour acclimation to measurement temperatures. Furthermore, Daphnia exposed to a near-lethal temperature (35°C) with a subsequent 24-hour recovery period at their native 25°C-acclimation temperature shows no indication of respiratory damage. Genotype showed no difference in metabolic compensation, indicating the process is genetically constrained. Regulation of mitochondrial and membrane function are promising areas to further characterize the mechanism of metabolic compensation found in this study.

No description available.

No description available.

Ce doctorat s’intègre dans le projet ANR BIOMET (JC05_59809) et a eu pour vocation d’améliorer les connaissances actuelles sur l’influence de la matière organique dissoute sur la spéciation et la biodisponibilité des métaux particulièrement dans le cas de système sous forte pression urbaine tel que la Seine. La compréhension de l’influence de la MOD sur la spéciation et la biodisponibilité des métaux suppose en outre que l’on connaisse précisément sa composition chimique ou plus exactement ses groupements fonctionnels. C’est pourquoi une partie de ces travaux est consacrée à l’extraction et la caractérisation de la matière organique dissoutes d’origine naturelle et urbaine. La caractérisation des fractions de MOD a été réalisée de manière originale par une approche multidimensionnelle à l’aide d’un véritable éventail de techniques analytiques (analyses élémentaires; isotopiques; fonctionnelles et moléculaires) permettant ainsi de mieux aborder l’influence de la MOD sur la spéciation et la biodisponibilité du cuivre et du plomb. Parallèlement à l’étude de caractérisation de la MOD, ce travail s’attache à mieux cerner le rôle de la MOD d’origine urbaine en particulier de la MOD hydrophile sur la spéciation et la biodisponibilité du cuivre et du plomb. Dans cet objectif, les techniques : potentiométrique à l’aide d’électrode ionique spécifique et la récente technique électrochimique AGNES ainsi que des biotests de toxicité aiguë (Daphnia magna) et de bioaccumulation (Fontinalis antipyretica) ont permis : - d’étudier la complexation du cuivre et du plomb par les fractions de MOD obtenues afin notamment de fournir des paramètres de complexations des MOD hydrophiles peu connues jusqu’à présent et ainsi mieux prédire le transport des métaux en milieu urbain. - d’évaluer le rôle protecteur de la MOD d’origine urbaine sur la biodisponibilité du cuivre. Les résultats ont montré que la MOD issue des effluents de station d’épuration et rejetée dans le milieu récepteur présente des caractéristiques originales à savoir un fort pourcentage de MOD hydrophile, c’est à dire une faible hydrophobicité et un degré d’aromaticité peu marqué soulignant le caractère peu réfractaire de cette MOD. En revanche une plus grande diversité fonctionnelle de la MOD d’origine urbaine par rapport à la MOD naturelle a été mise en évidence notamment par un taux de structures protéiques très important. Les résultats obtenus ici pour la première fois vis-à-vis des MOD hydrophiles d’origine urbaine ont montré une réactivité particulière vis-à-vis du cuivre. En effet les fractions HPI et plus généralement les fractions issues des effluents de station d’épuration ont montré une teneur en sites complexants plus élevée que ce qu’il avait été déjà observé pour des matières organiques naturelles. Les valeurs des constantes ne semblent pas varier d’une fraction à l’autre et assez peu suivant l’origine de la MOD. Le rôle particulier de l’azote dans la complexation du cuivre notamment sous la forme de groupements amines a été mis en évidence. Les approches utilisées pour évaluer la biodisponibilité du cuivre ont révélé pour l’ensemble des fractions de MOD un effet protecteur vis-à-vis du cuivre sur les organismes vivants. Néanmoins cet effet protecteur ne se trouve pas à la hauteur de celui pouvant être prédit par le modèle de l’ion libre principalement dû à une biodisponibilité de certains complexes organiques. Ceci peut être expliqué par l’important taux de structures protéiques dans ces MOD, les protéines étant connues pour jouer un rôle important dans les mécanismes de transports des métaux au sein des organismes. Par ailleurs, l’outil DGT (Diffusive gradient in thin films) a montré son efficacité pour évaluer la fraction biodisponible du cuivre / This thesis was carried out on the framework of the ANR BIOMET research project (JC05_59809). The main objectives were to improve the current knowledge on the influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on metal speciation and bioavailability in urban aquatic system. The understanding of the influence of DOM on trace metal speciation and bioavailability required that the chemical composition of DOM, more exactly its binding sites should be well understood. Therefore, one part of this research focused on the isolation and characterization of DOM. The characterization of DOM, with a multidimensional approach was realized with a lot of various techniques (such as elemental, isotopic, functional and molecular) that were of prime importance to better understand the influence of DOM on trace metal speciation and bioavailability. To accomplish these objectives, the techniques such as potentiometry with ionic selective electrode and the recent electroanalytical technique AGNES and bioassays such as a bioaccumulation test (Fontinalis antipyretica) and an acute toxicity test (Daphnia magna) were performed in order to: - study the copper and lead binding by isolated DOM fractions in order to give some binding parameters of hydrophilic DOM and to better predict the fate of the trace metal. - evaluate the protective role of urban DOM on copper bioavailability. Results showed some particular characteristics of DOM from wastewater effluent such as a high proportion of hydrophilic DOM, i.e. a low hydrophobicity and a low degree of aromaticity underlying the low refractory character of urban DOM. Nevertheless a higher content of various functional groups was determined in urban DOM than in natural DOM. A very high content of proteinaceous structures was particularly identified in urban DOM. Binding experiments revealed for the first time on urban hydrophilic DOM, a higher content of binding sites than in natural DOM and these sites are strongly correlated to amino groups. The values of binding constant seem to not vary according to the nature of the fraction or the origin. The different approaches used to evaluate copper bioavailability depicted a protective role of DOM to the organisms Daphnia magna and Fontinalis antipyretica. Nevertheless this protective effect is hardly explained by the free ion concentration due to a bioavailability of some organic complexes. This feature could be explain with the high content of proteinaceous structures in these DOM fractions, since proteins are well know to play an important role in the transport mechanisms of trace metals into the organisms. Moreover, the DGT device (diffusive gradient in thin films) shows a good efficiency to assess the bioavailable copper

Foram realizados testes de toxicidade ao longo de dois anos, com amostras de água e sedimento do rio Corumbataí, entre Novembro de 2004 e Setembro de 2006, com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade da água e do sedimento. Os testes de toxicidade aguda realizados com os organismos Chironomus xanthus, Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuata, Lactuca sativa e Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata indicaram variados graus de toxicidade nos diferentes pontos de coleta do rio Corumbataí, com maior ocorrência de toxicidade nos pontos de coleta mais próximos à foz do rio, principalmente devido à afluência do Ribeirão Claro. Todas as amostras de sedimento se mostraram mais tóxicas do que as amostras de água dos mesmos locais, para todos os organismos utilizados, em todas as coletas realizadas. Para todos os organismos, foram realizados testes de sensibilidade, com substância de referência (NaCl), mensalmente, a fim de garantir a qualidade dos cultivos em laboratório e dos bioensaios realizados, com resultados regulares e satisfatórios. Os efeitos produzidos pelas amostras ambientais sobre as sementes de alface (Lactuca sativa) foram bastante variáveis e irregulares, não possibilitando os cálculos de CI50. Decidiu-se por bem suspender a realização deste teste após um ano. Dentre todos os endpoints avaliados, os dos testes de Hydra attenuata e Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata se mostraram mais sensíveis, e o de Daphnia magna o menos sensível às amostras testadas. A avaliação da toxicidade através de efeitos subletais em H. attenuata se mostrou um bom parâmetro de avaliação das condições ambientais do rio Corumbataí, sendo um dos endpoints mais sensíveis utilizados. Outros testes de toxicidade foram realizados em algumas das oito coletas realizadas neste estudo, em caráter complementar: teste de toxicidade crônica com D. magna, teste de toxicidade LuminoTox, que utiliza sistemas enzimáticos vegetais, e o teste de genotoxicidade com Allium cepa, com o objetivo de avaliar suas sensibilidades e contribuições ao estudo. Estes bioensaios adicionaram informações a respeito dos níveis de poluição e toxicidade do rio Corumbataí, contribuindo com os bioensaios principais. Informações como parâmetros físicos e químicos, quantificação de elementos químicos e herbicidas ofereceram subsídios para a interpretação dos resultados obtidos com os testes de toxicidade. São apresentados também resultados das atividades referentes ao estágio de doutorado realizado no exterior (doutorado-sanduíche), no período de Setembro a Dezembro de 2007, na agência de proteção ambiental Environment Canada, no qual foi aplicado um teste de toxicidade com linhagens microbianas (MARA assay) em amostras de água e sedimento, juntamente com nanomateriais / Toxicity tests were conducted for two years with water and sediment samples from Corumbataí River, between November 2004 and September 2006, in order to assess the water and sediment quality. Acute toxicity tests conducted with Chironomus xanthus, Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuata, Lactuca sativa and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata showed varying degrees of toxicity along the river course, with more toxic results in the sampling sites near the river mouth, due mainly to the inflow of Ribeirão Claro. All sediment samples were more toxic than the water samples (from the corresponding sites), for all test organisms, and for all samplings. Sensitivity tests were performed monthly, with NaCl as the reference toxicant, in order to guarantee both the laboratory culture quality and the bioassays conducted with these organisms. Results with NaCl were regular and satisfactory. The effects of the samples on lettuce seeds (L. sativa) were irregular, thus not allowing the estimative of IC50. It was decided to suspend the performance of this bioassay after one year of testing. Among all studied tests and endpoints, the tests with H. attenuata and P. subcapitata had the most sensitive endpoints, and the acute toxicity test with D. magna had the less sensitive one. Toxicity assessment of Corumbataí River based on Hydra sub-lethality endpoint was one of the most sensitive among the tested ones. Other bioassays were conducted at least once as part of this study, as a complementary assessment: the 21-day chronic toxicity test with D. magna, the LuminoTox bioassay, and the genotoxicity test with Allium cepa, in order to assess their sensitivity and contribution to the present study. These bioassays added information about the contamination levels and toxicity of Corumbataí River, contributing with the main bioassays performed. Data such as physical and chemical parameters, metals and herbicides determinations had a contribution to bioassay results interpretation. Results from a research project developed during a four-month stay (from September 2007 to December 2007) at Environment Canada Protection Agency are further described, regarding the application of the MARA bioassay, (conducted with 11 microbial strains), testing water and sediment samples, along with nanomaterials

Foram realizados testes de toxicidade ao longo de dois anos, com amostras de água e sedimento do rio Corumbataí, entre Novembro de 2004 e Setembro de 2006, com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade da água e do sedimento. Os testes de toxicidade aguda realizados com os organismos Chironomus xanthus, Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuata, Lactuca sativa e Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata indicaram variados graus de toxicidade nos diferentes pontos de coleta do rio Corumbataí, com maior ocorrência de toxicidade nos pontos de coleta mais próximos à foz do rio, principalmente devido à afluência do Ribeirão Claro. Todas as amostras de sedimento se mostraram mais tóxicas do que as amostras de água dos mesmos locais, para todos os organismos utilizados, em todas as coletas realizadas. Para todos os organismos, foram realizados testes de sensibilidade, com substância de referência (NaCl), mensalmente, a fim de garantir a qualidade dos cultivos em laboratório e dos bioensaios realizados, com resultados regulares e satisfatórios. Os efeitos produzidos pelas amostras ambientais sobre as sementes de alface (Lactuca sativa) foram bastante variáveis e irregulares, não possibilitando os cálculos de CI50. Decidiu-se por bem suspender a realização deste teste após um ano. Dentre todos os endpoints avaliados, os dos testes de Hydra attenuata e Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata se mostraram mais sensíveis, e o de Daphnia magna o menos sensível às amostras testadas. A avaliação da toxicidade através de efeitos subletais em H. attenuata se mostrou um bom parâmetro de avaliação das condições ambientais do rio Corumbataí, sendo um dos endpoints mais sensíveis utilizados. Outros testes de toxicidade foram realizados em algumas das oito coletas realizadas neste estudo, em caráter complementar: teste de toxicidade crônica com D. magna, teste de toxicidade LuminoTox, que utiliza sistemas enzimáticos vegetais, e o teste de genotoxicidade com Allium cepa, com o objetivo de avaliar suas sensibilidades e contribuições ao estudo. Estes bioensaios adicionaram informações a respeito dos níveis de poluição e toxicidade do rio Corumbataí, contribuindo com os bioensaios principais. Informações como parâmetros físicos e químicos, quantificação de elementos químicos e herbicidas ofereceram subsídios para a interpretação dos resultados obtidos com os testes de toxicidade. São apresentados também resultados das atividades referentes ao estágio de doutorado realizado no exterior (doutorado-sanduíche), no período de Setembro a Dezembro de 2007, na agência de proteção ambiental Environment Canada, no qual foi aplicado um teste de toxicidade com linhagens microbianas (MARA assay) em amostras de água e sedimento, juntamente com nanomateriais / Toxicity tests were conducted for two years with water and sediment samples from Corumbataí River, between November 2004 and September 2006, in order to assess the water and sediment quality. Acute toxicity tests conducted with Chironomus xanthus, Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuata, Lactuca sativa and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata showed varying degrees of toxicity along the river course, with more toxic results in the sampling sites near the river mouth, due mainly to the inflow of Ribeirão Claro. All sediment samples were more toxic than the water samples (from the corresponding sites), for all test organisms, and for all samplings. Sensitivity tests were performed monthly, with NaCl as the reference toxicant, in order to guarantee both the laboratory culture quality and the bioassays conducted with these organisms. Results with NaCl were regular and satisfactory. The effects of the samples on lettuce seeds (L. sativa) were irregular, thus not allowing the estimative of IC50. It was decided to suspend the performance of this bioassay after one year of testing. Among all studied tests and endpoints, the tests with H. attenuata and P. subcapitata had the most sensitive endpoints, and the acute toxicity test with D. magna had the less sensitive one. Toxicity assessment of Corumbataí River based on Hydra sub-lethality endpoint was one of the most sensitive among the tested ones. Other bioassays were conducted at least once as part of this study, as a complementary assessment: the 21-day chronic toxicity test with D. magna, the LuminoTox bioassay, and the genotoxicity test with Allium cepa, in order to assess their sensitivity and contribution to the present study. These bioassays added information about the contamination levels and toxicity of Corumbataí River, contributing with the main bioassays performed. Data such as physical and chemical parameters, metals and herbicides determinations had a contribution to bioassay results interpretation. Results from a research project developed during a four-month stay (from September 2007 to December 2007) at Environment Canada Protection Agency are further described, regarding the application of the MARA bioassay, (conducted with 11 microbial strains), testing water and sediment samples, along with nanomaterials

Xenobiotics are of human and environmental concerns due to their potential toxicity. Octylphenol is one of the very common and daily used xenobiotics in door and out door activities of human beings. Toxicity of octylphenol to aquatic organisms, especially to zooplankton (e.g. Daphnia magna) was investigated but not fully understood. In this study we evaluated the chronic effects of octylphenol at the concentrations of 5, 50 and 500 μg L-1 on Daphnia magna over a period of 14 days. The results showed that low concentration of octylphenol (5 μg L-1) stimulated the maturation while high concentrations of the chemical (50 and 500 μg L-1) caused a significant mortality to the Daphnia. Besides, all the tested concentrations of octylphenol had serious impacts on fecundity and growth of the animals. Investigations on the presence, distribution, fate and toxicity of xonobiotics including octylphenol in the developing country environment are suggested for human, environmental and ecological health protection. / Những hợp chất tổng hợp đang là mối quan ngại cho con người và môi trường vì khả năng gây độc của chúng. Octylphenol là một trong những hợp chất tổng hợp được sử dụng phổ biến và thường xuyên trong những hoạt động của con người trong nhà và ngoài trời. Độc tính của octylphenol đối với thủy sinh vật, đặc biệt đối với động vật phù du (vd. Daphnia magna) mặc dù đã được nghiên cứu nhưng vẫn chưa được hiểu biết đầy đủ. Trong nghiên cứu này, chúng tôi đánh giá ảnh hưởng mãn tính của octylphenol ở các nồng độ 5, 50 và 500 μg/lít lên Daphnia magna trong thời gian 14 ngày. Kết quả cho thấy ở nồng độ octylphenol thấp (5 μg/lít) kích thích sự thành thục của sinh vật trong khi ở nồng độ cao hơn (50 và 500 μg/lít) gây chết đáng kể Daphnia. Bên cạnh đó, tất cả các nồng độ ocytlphenol dùng trong thí nghiệm gây ảnh hưởng nghiêm trọng lên sức sinh sản và sinh trưởng của sinh vật. Nghiên cứu về sự hiện diện, phân bố, phát tán và độc tính của những chất tổng hợp bao gồm octylphenol ở các nước đang phát triển nên được tiến hành vì mục tiêu bảo vệ sức khỏe con người, môi trường và hệ sinh thái.