| Abstract: | The defensive responses of the bay mussel, Mytilus edulis, to invading organisms and toxicants is primarily cellular. Hemolymph cells as well as the other organs and tissues of the mussel through their normal functioning and interactions with toxic substances influence the chemical composition of the animal's hemolymph. It has been found that the levels of specific molecules in the hemolymph fluctuate as a consequence of trace metal insult. It was proposed that one way in which trace metal toxicity may be expressed is through an influx of free lysosomal hydrolases in the hemolymph.Reported here is the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with which micro-samples of mussel hemolymph can be analyzed quantitatively for the lysosomal hydrolytic enzyme, lysozyme. During development comparisons were made of the results acquired by spectrophotometric determinations of lysozyme activity and ELISA-determined lysozyme concentrations in the hemolymph of mussels. The hemolymph from unstressed and copper-stressed mussels was examined. It was found that the overall trends in lysozyme fluctuations were indicated by both techniques. However, on occasion in copper-stressed populations a divergence between the two sets of data was observed. This suggested an effect of copper on lysozyme molecular configuration. |
