Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
8-2021
School/College
College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (COSET)
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology
Committee Chairperson
Ayodotun Sodipe Shishir Shishodia, Sonya Good, Alamelu Sundaresan, Mofolorunso Enigbokan
Committee Member 1
Shishir Shishodia
Committee Member 2
Sonya Good
Committee Member 3
Alamelu Sundaresan
Committee Member 4
Mofolorunso Enigbokan
Keywords
Cadmium, HSP-70, Hypsibius Exemplaris, Reactive Oxygen Species, Tardigrades
Abstract
Heavy metals such as Cadmium are known stressors in aquatic environments due to being persistent in nature and the ability to bioaccumulate in organisms. Cadmium ranks 7th on the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry’s 2019 Substance Priority List. It is also listed as a substance of very high concern by the European Chemicals Agency. Thus, it is considered one of the most important environmental and occupational pollutants existing. This study aimed at investigating the cellular responses to the heavy metal Cadmium (Cd) and observe the processes that are involved in its detoxification. Tardigrade specimens (Hypsibius exemplaris) were exposed to varying concentrations of cadmium ranging from 1mg/l to 15mg/l at 6, 12 and 24-hours intervals. The expressions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-s-transferase) were measured after cadmium exposure. Tardigrade viability was also assessed based on observed locomotive movements of the tardigrades. The results of this study indicate that antioxidant defense components in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris are significantly affected by cadmium toxicity. The viability analysis showed that the in vivo acute exposures decreased starting from the 5 mg/L concentration over a 24-hours period. The results show that cadmium can induce the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in oxidative stress as ROS was statistically significantly higher than control after 24 hours of cadmium exposure (p
Copyright
Copyright © for this work is retained by the author. Any documents and information presented are protected by copyright under US Copyright laws and are the property of the author. All Rights Reserved. For permission to use this content please contact the author or the Graduate School at Texas Southern University (graduate.school@tsu.edu).
Recommended Citation
Olatoregun, Adedamola, "Investigating the Detoxification of Cadmium by the Tardigrade Hypsibus Exemplaris." (2021). Dissertations (2016-Present). 34.
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/dissertations/34