Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry approach to biomarker discovery in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) exposed to polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals under field conditions

Proteomics provide potential in the discovery of new sensitive biomarkers for environmental pollution. To evaluate this potential, we have utilized ProteinChip® technology to analyze the proteomic profile of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from polluted marine habitats surrounding the island of Karmøy, Norway. Two different types of contamination, heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were compared to a clean reference site. Differentially expressed proteins/peptides were found, which showed a specific induction or a general suppression associated with the field site of origin. By combining sets of protein markers in a tree-building algorithm, we were able to correctly classify samples from these sites with an accuracy of 90%.