Three potential biomarkers in a red alga Gracilaria textorii (Suringar) Hariot (Gracilariales, Florideophyceae) for environmental health assessment

Abstract

The bio-molecules involved in defense mechanisms can be used as efficient biomarkers for physiological changes in organisms caused by both of internal and external stress. Thus, the expression level of genes which encoding such molecules serve as critical ‘early warning system’ for environmental assessment as well as health diagnosis of biological organisms. Cytochrome P450, Heat shock protein 90, Ubiquitin and β-actin gene were isolated for the first time from a red alga Gracilaria textorii. The quantitative differential gene expression analyses of three genes, GteCYP1A, GteHsp90 and GteUB, were carried out in G. textorii sporophytes collected from two different localities, polluted Sujeong (Masan, Korea) and potentially unpolluted Danggeum (Daemaemuldo Is., Korea). The transcripts of all three tested genes were highly expressed in the Sujeong population. The results suggest: 1) the Sujeong site was more polluted than the Danggeum site; 2) G. textorii could be applicable to marine environment monitoring in coastal regions.