| Author |
Lajtner, Jasna Bielen, Ana Lusic, Jelena Cvitanic, Marija Hudina, Sandra Bosnjak, Ivana Jaklic, Martina Sepcic, Kristina Simcic, Tatjana |
| Description |
Author Affiliation: Bielen A ( University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemical Engineering, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: abielen@pbf.hr.); Bosnjak I ( University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemical Engineering, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia); Sepcic K ( University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.); Jaklic M ( National Institute of Biology, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.); Cvitanic M ( University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.); Lusic J ( Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Laboratory of Chemical Oceanography and Sedimentology of the Sea, Setaliste I. Mestrovica 63, 21000 Split, Croatia.); Lajtner J ( University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.); Simcic T ( National Institute of Biology, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.); Hudina S ( University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: shudina@biol.pmf.hr.) |
| Abstract |
Tolerance towards environmental stress has been frequently considered as one of the key determinants of invasion success. However, empirical evidence supporting the assumption that invasive species can better endure unfavorable conditions compared with native species is limited and has yielded opposing results. In this study, we examined the tolerance to different stress conditions (thermal stress and trace metal zinc pollution stress) in two phylogenetically related and functionally similar freshwater bivalve species, the native Anodonta anatina and the invasive Sinanodonta woodiana. We assessed potential differences in response to stress conditions using several cellular response assays: efficiency of the multixenobiotic resistance mechanism, respiration estimate (INT reduction capacity), and enzymatic biomarkers. Our results demonstrated that the invasive species overall coped much better with unfavorable conditions. The higher tolerance of S. woodiana was evident from (i) significantly decreased Rhodamine B accumulation indicating more efficient multixenobiotic resistance mechanism; (ii) significantly higher INT reduction capacity and (iii) less pronounced alterations in the activity of stress-related enzymes (glutathione-S-transferase, catalase) and of a neurotoxicity biomarker (cholinesterase) in the majority of treatment conditions in both stress trials. Higher tolerance to thermal extremes may provide physiological benefit for further invasion success of S. woodiana in European freshwaters, especially in the context of climate change. |
