Metallothionein and superoxide dismutase responses to sublethal cadmium exposure in the clam Mactra veneriformis

The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between cadmium (Cd) and stress responses in the clam Mactra veneriformis. Metallothionein (MT) and Cu–Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) cDNAs from the clam were isolated and characterized. The full-length cDNA of MvMT and MvSOD contained 830 and 689 nucleotides encoding 59 and 159 amino acids, respectively. Multiple alignments indicated that deduced amino acid sequences of MvMT and MvSOD shared high homology with MT and SOD sequences of other mollusks. Clams were exposed to 0, 50, 100, and 200 µg/L Cd for 21 days. The mRNA transcripts of the two genes, MT protein content and SOD activity in the digestive gland were examined. Cd treatment significantly elevated MvMT and MvSOD mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner and MT protein level in a dose- and time-dependent manner. SOD activity significantly increased at the start of Cd exposure, then decreased and finally returned to the normal level. These results indicate that MT and SOD play an important role in maintaining cellular metabolism homeostasis and protecting M. veneriformis from Cd toxicity. MT and SOD could be used as biomarkers of Cd pollution in aquatic environment for the studied species.