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Expression of HSP70 in Mytilus californianus following exposure to caffeine

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Abstract

Caffeine, a biologically active drug with many known molecular targets, is recognized as a contaminant of marine systems. Although the concentrations of caffeine reported from aquatic systems are low (ng/l–μg/l), harmful ecological effects not detected by traditional toxicity tests could occur as a result of caffeine contamination. We used Hsp70, a molecular biomarker of cellular stress, to investigate the sub-lethal cellular toxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations of caffeine on the mussel Mytilus californianus, a dominant species in the rocky intertidal zone along the Oregon Coast. Hsp70 concentrations in the gill and mantle tissue of mussels exposed to 0.05, 0.2, and 0.5 μg/l of caffeine for 10, 20, and 30 days were compared to basal levels in control mussels. Hsp70 in the gill tissue of M. californianus had an initial attenuation of the stress protein followed by a significant up-regulation relative to controls in all but the 0.5 μg/l treatment. Hsp70 in the mantle tissue of mussels exposed to caffeine did not differ from control mussels. This study provides laboratory evidence that environmentally relevant concentrations of caffeine can exert an effect on M. californianus gill tissue at the molecular-level.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded in part by a Portland State University Faculty Enhancement Grant to E. F. Granek and B. A. Buckley and by an Oregon Sea Grant Program Development Grant to E. F. Granek. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the NOAA Portland, Oregon Office provided additional funding for supplies. Malcolm Staudinger, Caitlyn Peake, Paul Pettus, Amanda Kelly, Ben Prital, provided help in the field and laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR, 97201, USA

    Zoe Rodriguez del Rey & Elise F. Granek

  2. Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, 97201, USA

    Bradley A. Buckley

Authors
  1. Zoe Rodriguez del Rey
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  2. Elise F. Granek
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  3. Bradley A. Buckley
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Correspondence to Elise F. Granek.

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del Rey, Z.R., Granek, E.F. & Buckley, B.A. Expression of HSP70 in Mytilus californianus following exposure to caffeine. Ecotoxicology 20, 855–861 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0649-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0649-6

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