Characterization of the Domoic Acid Uptake Mechanism of the Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Digestive Gland

Abstract

Cultures of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis are frequently affected by accumulation of the amnesic shellfish poisoning toxin domoic acid (DA). This species is characterized by a fast uptake and release of the toxin. In this work, the main characteristics of the uptake mechanism have been studied by incubation of digestive gland thin slices in media with different composition and DA concentration. DA uptake seems to follow Michaelis–Menten kinetics, with a very high estimated KM (1722 µg DA mL−1) and a Vmax of 71.9 µg DA g−1 h−1, which is similar to those found for other amino acids in invertebrates. Replacement of NaCl from the incubation media by Cl-choline (Na+-free medium) did not significantly reduce the uptake, but replacement by sorbitol (Na+-free and Cl−-depleted medium) did. A new experiment replacing all chlorides with their equivalent gluconates (Na+- and Cl−-free medium) showed an important reduction in the uptake that should be attributed to the absence of chloride, pointing to a Na+-independent, Cl− (or anion-) dependent transporter. In media with Na+ and Cl−, neither decreasing the pH nor adding cyanide (a metabolic inhibitor) had significant effect on DA uptake, suggesting that the transport mechanism is not H+- or ATP-dependent. In a chloride depleted medium, lowering pH or adding CN increased the uptake, suggesting that other anions could, at least partially, substitute chloride.