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Biochemical Toxicity and Potential Detoxification Mechanisms in Earthworms Eisenia fetida Exposed to Sulfamethazine and Copper

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Abstract

The present study investigated the biochemical toxicity and potential detoxification mechanisms in earthworms Eisenia fetida exposed to sulfamethazine (SMZ) (7.5, 15 and 30 mg kg−1) either alone or in combination with Copper (Cu) (100 mg kg−1) in soil. The results showed that increasing concentrations of SMZ in soil activated superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase isozymes, suggesting reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst in earthworms. Treatment with SMZ and Cu separately or in combination caused protein oxidation and damage, elevating the synthesis of ubiquitin, the 20S proteasome, cytochrome P450 (CYP450), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Such treatments also induced the activities of proteases, endoproteinase (EP) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). The results suggested that the ubiquitin-20S proteasome, proteases, EP and HSP70 were involved in degradation or remediation of oxidatively damaged proteins. Elevated levels of CYP450 and GSTs also participated in the detoxification of the earthworms.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse of China (No. PCRRF19036), the fund from the Major Science and Technology Project of Anhui Province (No. 18030701189) and the Foundation of Scientific Research Project of Huainan Normal University, China (No. 2019XJZD02). We would also like to express our thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Engineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan, China

    Hong Rong, Chengrun Wang, Haitao Liu, Min Zhang, Yueting Yuan, Yanjie Pu, Jin Huang & Jinyu Yu

  2. Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Huainan Normal University, Huainan, China

    Hong Rong, Chengrun Wang, Haitao Liu, Min Zhang, Yueting Yuan, Yanjie Pu, Jin Huang & Jinyu Yu

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  1. Hong Rong
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  2. Chengrun Wang
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  3. Haitao Liu
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  4. Min Zhang
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  6. Yanjie Pu
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Correspondence to Chengrun Wang.

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Rong, H., Wang, C., Liu, H. et al. Biochemical Toxicity and Potential Detoxification Mechanisms in Earthworms Eisenia fetida Exposed to Sulfamethazine and Copper. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 105, 255–260 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-02927-5

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