Effect of Zinc Exposure on Protein and Activity of Enzymes of Freshwater Mussel Dreissena Polymorpha

Abstract

Dreissena polymorpha mussel were collected from Al-Kadesia lake- Haditha /Al-Anbar Governorate-Iraq, between November 2008 and February 2009. The animals were exposed for 4, 8, and 8 mg zinc/L of water for 8 days. The soft tissue was analyzed for the effect of zinc on total protein components and activity of five enzymes (using colorimetric and /or electrophoretic methods).Zinc was found to cause (a) Change in the intensity of some esterase patterns and increase of total protein with increasing the concentration of zinc in the water (b) Increase in the activity of the enzymes, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH ) and decrease in the activity of acid phosphatase (ACP) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) with increase of zinc concentration. These changes may be useful as an earlier indicator for water pollution with zinc .