Activity of mercaptopyruvate sulphurtransferase in different tissues of the genus Barbus (B. sharpeyi, B. grypus, B. xanthopterus and B. barbulus)

Cyanide is one of the most hazardous environmental pollution that its level has beenincreased in aquatic environment due to use of fertilizers, effluent from industriesand sewage disposal. The exposure of fishes to cyanide ions above 20 24Tμ24Tg/L caninduce high rate of mortality. Mercaptopyruvate sulphur transferase (MPST) is animportant cytosolic cyanide detoxifying enzymes in vertebrates that its property hasnot being fully characterized in a wide variety of fish species.The purpose of thisstudy was to determine the tissue distribution of MPST in different tissues of fournative Barbus species including Barbus sharpeyi, Barbus grypus, Barbusxanthopterus and Barbus barbulus. Six specimens from each species with the lengthof 32.5 ± 6.5 and weight of 440 ± 110 were collected from five major regions theKarun River including Gotvand, Shushtar, Mollasani, Darkhoine and Ahvaz. MPSTwas assayed by the method of Taniguchi and Kimurain in the liver, kidney, gill andintestine. The highest activity of MPST was observed in the liver and gill, followedby the intestine and kidney. Specific activities of MPST (U/mg protein) in differenttissues were 0.129 to 0.228 in the liver, 0.116 to 0.187 in the gill, 0.087 to 0.141 inthe intestine, and 0.076 to 0.123 in the kidney in the studied species. The presence ofMPST in the tissues of these Barbus species is an indication of high cyanidedetoxifying mechanism, a protective and possible physiological mechanism for theirsurvival in their environment.

کلیدواژه ها:

Mercaptopyruvate sulphurtransferase ، Tissue distribution ، Barbus ، Karun River