Acronym CAULERFISH
Category
Fisheries
Title CAUsative Links between Exotic algal metabolites and cellular and molecular Responses in native marine FISH species Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Antonio Terlizzi Coordinator email aterlizzi@units.it
Coordinator institution
UNISALENTO - University of Salento (Italy)
Institutions involved
CNR - National Research Council (Italy) ,
UNIVPM - Polytechnic University of Marche (Italy) ,
Start year 2013 End year 2018 Funding (€) € 290,280 Website https://www.unisalento.it/-/analisi-dei-meccanismi-causali-delle-risposte-molecolari-e-cellulari-di-pesci-selvatici-esposti-a-metaboliti-dell-alga-marina-invasiva-caulerpa-racemo Summary Biological invasions can alter either the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems, thus limiting their ability to provide goods and services. Among the alien species permanently established in the Mediterranean Sea, large "monocultures" of the green exotic macroalga Caulerpa racemosa represent a serious threat to native species, including fish of commercial interest, negatively impacting both tourism and fisheries. Understanding and forecasting the impact of C. racemosa on the invaded habitat communities is an actual challenge for the international scientific community. Within the vast available literature, two innovative studies have been recently developed under the framework of a project PRIN 2009 (CAUDIP), showing that C. racemosa has become an important component for the diet of Diplodus sargus. It has also been demonstrated that the red pigment caulerpin, the most abundant secondary metabolite of C. racemosa, accumulates in the fish tissues, thus entering the food chain. Caulerpin is a bioactive compound with important antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, able to inhibit mitochondrial respiration, the activity of PTP1B enzyme and the mechanism of resistance to xenobiotics, it is cytotoxic on human dermal fibroblasts, and stimulates plant growth. Felline et al. (2012) could demonstrate that the level of caulerpin in D. sargus represents an indicator of the trophic exposure to the alien seaweed which is also related to the onset of various cellular and physiological alterations. Such evidences led to the hypothesis that a prolonged diet based on C. racemosa may negatively affect the fish health status, confirming previous studies on possible toxic effects of the main lipophilic algal metabolites that include, along with caulerpin, the sesquiterpene caulerpenyne and the mixture of hydroxy-amides caulerpicin. In this respect, CAULERFISH will try to answer new and urgent questions through an interdisciplinary approach based on three main objectives: 1. Feeding behavior of Diplodus sargus: the new feeding habits of D. sargus indicate a behavioral alteration leading to the ingestion of large amounts of Caulerpa, while the fish typically shows a varied and omnivorous diet in non-invaded environments. CAULERFISH will explore possible interactions between algal metabolites and molecular targets involved in feeding behavior, specifically the endocannabinoid system which plays a key role in the control of appetite and food intake in higher vertebrates and fish. 2. Ecotoxicological risk assessment: potential adverse effects of both crude algal extracts and purified metabolites will be evaluated by their administration to white sea breams through the diet (in vivo experiments) and on fresh liver slices (in vitro experiments), chosen as an alternative to the primary cell cultures. Behavioural alterations, oxygen consumption and metabolic rate will be integrated with the analysis of molecular and cellular responses including biotransformation and excretion of xenobiotics, those involved in response to stressors and onset of toxicity (i.e. effects on lipids, cell membranes, organelles and DNA). Such responses, described hereinafter, will be analysed both by gene expression and catalytic activity, to provide different information on the sensitivity and functional significance of these effects. 3. Nutritional quality of the fish resource: The white seabream has an high nutritional value since 100 g correspond to the human daily dietary requirements of fatty acids (EPA + DHA). CAULERFISH will aim to test whether the exposure to Caulerpa metabolites cause a deterioration of nutritional value of the fish flesh. Although experimental evidence showed that crude extract from C. racemosa may affect lipidic metabolism in mice, the ability of the seaweed to influence levels of fatty acids in fish meat has never been evaluated. The possible variations in the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in D. sargus will be then studied in relation to the diet on C. racemosa. Beside the determination of the nutritional value of the fish flesh for human consumption, the research will provide new evidence on other physiological effects in the fish resulting from the new diet.
Keywords
Seabream;
Impacts;
Diets;
Fish health;
Fish habitat;
Fish biology;
Fish;
Alien species;
Marine Region
76
Not associated to marine areas
0
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