LEAD ACCUMULATION AND SUBCELULAR DISTRIBUTION IN THE SCALLOP AEQUIPECTEN OPERCULARIS

The scallop Aequipecten opercularis accumulates high concentrations of lead (Pb) in its tissues, what has led to the ban of its extraction in the Ría de Vigo (Galicia, Spain) for feeding purposes. The Ría de Vigo presents higher levels of Pb than other industrialized Galician Rías, mainly due to a ceramic factory that was operating in the inner part of the Ría from 1961 to 2001 (Álvarez-Iglesias et al., 2003). This study aims at testing the dynamics of bioaccumulation of Pb in this species, its tissue distribution and the subcellular partitioning Pb, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms that provoke the high Pb levels reached in its tissues. Scallops originating from a clean area were exposed in cages in two places in the Ría de Vigo (one harbour and a less impacted location) and 10 individuals were collected every month over a three months period. The bioaccumulation of Pb and other metals was studied including its distribution in several tissues: gills, digestive gland, kidney, muscle, gonad and rest. The results showed that scallops accumulated similar levels of Pb in both locations, and that about 76% of the Pb was found in the kidney. Subcellular partitioning of kidney samples additionally showed that around a 60-70% of Pb in the kidneys was included in metal rich granules, indicating that this is probably the reason of the high levels of Pb observed in this species, as occurs for other bivalves (Darriba and Sánchez-Marín, 2013). Concerning other metals analysed, it was observed that Zn was also mainly accumulated in the kidney, while Cd content was highest in the digestive gland. Cu and Ni were preferentially accumulated in the digestive gland or kidney, depending on the location, and As was mainly found in the muscle. Results will be discussed on the basis of metal pollution in both locations and according to detoxification strategies used by scallops

CONSEQUENCES OF SINGULAR ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS ON THE CYCLE OF METALS IN COASTAL LAGOONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE INCORPORATION OF METALS BY PRIMARY PRODUCERS

Coastal areas are valuable and sensitive environments subjected to great anthropogenic pressure. Among these pressures, metal pollution is of priority concern as these pollutants can reach concentrations that exceed the levels established to protect sensitive organisms in the ecosystem. In coastal lagoons, shallow systems with a reduced exchange with the open sea, metal concentrations are one or two orders of magnitude higher than in open-waters. In addition, these systems are subjected to physicochemical variations that can alter the biogeochemical cycling of the metals. Singular environmental events such as strong winds cause metal resuspension, torrential rain events provoke the entrance of solutes and pollutants, and phytoplankton blooms dramatically increase the concentration of organic matter. These events provoke alterations in the concentration and speciation of metals in the water column. This will have a direct impact in the organisms living in the area, since metal toxicity and bioavailability depends on the chemical speciation. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is the most important variable influencing metal speciation and bioavailability in seawater. However, the effects of DOM on metal bioavailability have not been yet unravelled and contrasting results have been reported, some showing that DOM protects against metal toxicity and others showing the opposite. The present study was designed to study how the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the water column of coastal lagoons is influenced by these singular environmental events and how this affects the incorporation of metals by the primary producers, in this case, microalgae, with particular focus on the effect of dissolved organic matter on metal biouptake. The proposed work combines field sampling and analytical work in the Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain). This project will substantially contribute to widen our knowledge about the behaviour of metals in coastal areas and to determine how the presence of DOM affects their toxicity

EFFECT OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER ON COPPER BIOAVAILABILITY TO A COASTAL DINOFLAGELLATE

Metal complexation by dissolved organic matter (DOM) is considered to decrease metal bioavailability by lowering the free metal ion concentration, therefore protecting organisms from the deleterious effects of metals (Campbell et al., 2002). In coastal lagoons like Mar Menor, with high terrestrial influence and low exchange with open sea, the levels of both DOM and metals are one or two orders of magnitude higher than in open-waters. In order to verify the free ion activity model (FIAM), copper internalization by Prorocentrum micans, a cosmopolitan dinoflagellate also present in the Mar Menor, was tested in the absence and presence of two types of DOM, commercially available fulvic acids from riverine origin (SRFA) and coastal DOM obtained by ultrafiltration (UF-DOM). The microalgae were exposed to artificial sea water enriched with increasing amounts of Cu65 isotope, at levels from 5 to 100 nM Cu, solely and in combination with DOM. After one-hour exposure, samples were centrifuged and washed and pellets were digested with nitric acid at 90ºC, following Sánchez-Marín et al (2010) and Croteau and Luoma (2005). In parallel, careful measurements of metal complexation by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) were performed and total Cu concentrations were measured by ICP-MS. Preliminary results show that copper internalization by the microalgae increases linearly as a function of labile Cu, both in the absence and presence of DOM, in agreement with FIAM and with labile Cu measurements performed by ASV. Future work might include testing the influence of competing metals, such as Pb or Zn, on Cu internalization, and to study Cu bioavailability in natural samples collected in the Mar Menor, in order to shed light into the factors that control Cu bioavailability in coastal lagoons

COPPER AND LEAD COMPLEXATION BY DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER IN MAR MENOR COASTAL LAGOON

Mar Menor coastal lagoon is a shallow system with a reduced exchange with the open sea, that is affected by several anthropogenic pressures, mainly agriculture and mining. The mining sierra of Cartagena-La Unión has been historically discharging mining waste rich in heavy metals in the south area of Mar Menor, resulting in high metal concentrations in sediments (García and Muñoz-Vera., 2015). The nutrients reaching the lagoon, together with the high temperatures, also provoke phytoplankton blooms that lead to high concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM). It is well known that total metal concentrations are not good predictors of their bioavailability, and metal speciation should be taken into account. The presence of ligands, such as DOM in the water, may form metal-DOM complexes and protect against the deleterious effects of metals. The present study aims at studying the effect of DOM on the speciation of dissolved metals (Cu and Pb) in Mar Menor waters. With that aim, filtered water was sampled at five sites in Mar Menor lagoon at several sampling periods. Metal concentration was analysed by ICP-MS with Argon gas dilution, DOC was analysed in a carbon-specific infrared gas analyser and optical characterization of DOM was obtained from absorbance and fluorescence spectra. Complexiometric titrations of Cu and Pb were performed by anodic stripping voltammetry following Durán and Nieto (2011). Preliminary results show that Cu and Pb concentrations in Mar Menor waters are higher than in other coastal areas, especially in the south area of the lagoon, reaching concentrations of tens of nanomolar. DOC concentrations are also very high in Mar Menor waters, leading to high complexation capacities for Cu, therefore protecting aquatic biota from the deleterious effects of Cu. Pb, on the contrary, is poorly complexed by DOM, and almost all dissolved Pb is present in inorganic forms

Impact of regulated and emerging pollutants and microplastics in marine ecosystems (IMPACTA project)

Marine ecosystems are nowadays subjected to a massive input of synthetic chemicals from everywhere. Unfortunately only a small portion of them is being monitored, and it is necessary to identify which pollutants can produce adverse impacts in the marine environment. IMPACTA project (CTM2013-48194-C3) is characterizing the distribution of regulated and emerging contaminants and microplastics in marine sediments, and evaluating the biological effects that they can cause (sing sublethal embryotoxicity tests, endocrine disruption and biomarkers). Sensitive and selective analytical methods are being developed and validated for pharmaceuticals, perfluorinated compounds, organophosphorus pesticides, triazines, personal care products, nonylphenols and alkylated PAHs in sediments. Thus, relevant pollutants present in coastal and offshore areas will be identified. Furthermore potential toxic effects of the contaminants present in coastal sediments are being assessed through embryotoxicity bioassays and also the biological effects on different marine species as a consequence of their exposition to specific compounds. Another relevant contribution of this project will be the assessment of the impact of micro-plastics, first time in the Spanish coastal areas. Their potential toxic effects and their role in the transference of pollutants in the marine environment are being assessed. The concentration and composition of microplastics in sediments and demersal fish stomachs are being characterized, and their potential biological effects on marine invertebrates are also being investigated

The structural role of SARS-CoV-2 genetic background in the emergence and success of spike mutations: The case of the spike A222V mutation

The S:A222V point mutation, within the G clade, was characteristic of the 20E (EU1) SARS-CoV-2 variant identified in Spain in early summer 2020. This mutation has since reappeared in the Delta subvariant AY.4.2, raising questions about its specific effect on viral infection. We report combined serological, functional, structural and computational studies characterizing the impact of this mutation. Our results reveal that S:A222V promotes an increased RBD opening and slightly increases ACE2 binding as compared to the parent S:D614G clade. Finally, S:A222V does not reduce sera neutralization capacity, suggesting it does not affect vaccine effectiveness

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

XVI International Congress of Control Electronics and Telecommunications: "Techno-scientific considerations for a post-pandemic world intensive in knowledge, innovation and sustainable local development"

Este título, sugestivo por los impactos durante la situación de la Covid 19 en el mundo, y que en Colombia lastimosamente han sido muy críticos, permiten asumir la obligada superación de tensiones sociales, políticas, y económicas; pero sobre todo científicas y tecnológicas. Inicialmente, esto supone la existencia de una capacidad de la sociedad colombiana por recuperar su estado inicial después de que haya cesado la perturbación a la que fue sometida por la catastrófica pandemia, y superar ese anterior estado de cosas ya que se encontraban -y aún se encuentran- muchos problemas locales mal resueltos, medianamente resueltos, y muchos sin resolver: es decir, habrá que rediseñar y fortalecer una probada resiliencia social existente - producto del prolongado conflicto social colombiano superado parcialmente por un proceso de paz exitoso - desde la tecnociencia local; como lo indicaba Markus Brunnermeier - economista alemán y catedrático de economía de la Universidad de Princeton- en su libro The Resilient Society…La cuestión no es preveerlo todo sino poder reaccionar…aprender a recuperarse rápido.This title, suggestive of the impacts during the Covid 19 situation in the world, and which have unfortunately been very critical in Colombia, allows us to assume the obligatory overcoming of social, political, and economic tensions; but above all scientific and technological. Initially, this supposes the existence of a capacity of Colombian society to recover its initial state after the disturbance to which it was subjected by the catastrophic pandemic has ceased, and to overcome that previous state of affairs since it was found -and still is find - many local problems poorly resolved, moderately resolved, and many unresolved: that is, an existing social resilience test will have to be redesigned and strengthened - product of the prolonged Colombian social conflict partially overcome by a successful peace process - from local technoscience; As Markus Brunnermeier - German economist and professor of economics at Princeton University - indicates in his book The Resilient Society...The question is not to foresee everything but to be able to react...learn to recover quickly.Bogot