Characterization of Hsp60 response in the rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, exposed to multiple environmental contaminants

Many bioassays examine the effects of a single Stressor on organism health, but in the environment organisms are rarely, if ever, exposed to a single Stressor. The development of an assay that measures overall organism health would be desirable. Stress proteins, including hsp60, are a group of highly conserved proteins that are induced in response to a variety of environmental agents and are well suited to measure the effects of multiple Stressors due to their integrative nature (Sanders (1993) Critical Reviews in Toxicology 23, 49–75). They have been postulated to confer a protective response in the cell, shielding it from further protein damage. The goal of this investigation was to demonstrate an integrative stress response to multiple environmental contaminants using the marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, which has a demonstrated ability to produce hsp60 (Cochrane et al. (1991) Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 98C, 385–390).