The Assessment of Methyl Methanesulfonate Absorption by Amphipods from the Environment Using Lux-Biosensors

The ability of aquatic mesofauna representatives involved in trophic chains to sorb and accumulate toxicants is important for understanding the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and for fishing industry. This study investigated the capacity of marine amphipod <i>Gammarus oceanicus</i> and freshwater amphipods <i>Eulimnogammarus vittatus</i> and <i>Gammarus lacustris</i> to absorb the DNA-alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). The presence of alkylating agents in the environment and in the tissues of the amphipods was determined using whole-cell lux-biosensor <i>Escherichia coli</i> MG1655 pAlkA-lux, in which the <i>luxCDABE</i> genes from <i>Photorhabdus luminescens</i>, enabling the luminescence of the cell culture, are controlled by the P<i>_alkA</i> promoter of DNA glycosylase. It was shown that within one day of incubation in water containing MMS at a concentration above 10 μM, the amphipods absorbed the toxicant and their tissues produce more alkylation damage to biosensor cells than the surrounding water. Concentrations of MMS above 1 mM in the environment caused the death of the amphipods before the toxicant could be significantly concentrated in their tissues. The sensitivity and the capacity to absorb MMS were found to be approximately the same for the marine amphipod <i>G. oceanicus</i> and the freshwater amphipods <i>E. vittatus</i> and <i>G. lacustris</i>.