Effect of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) on Modulate Genes Encoding Stress Related Proteins and Antioxidant Enzymes in Different Marine Fish Species of Red Sea Water

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Red sea water were determined at Suez and Ismailia governorates, Egypt. The sites were selected to represent areas with different activities of Suez Gulf water. The concentrations of fifteen PAHs having two to six rings were determined by using HPLC with florescence detection. The total average concentrations of the fifteen PAHs over the Suez governorate sites (S1 and S2) were 1.45 and 0.34 ??g/l, respectively. However those for Ismailia governorate sites (I1 and I2) were 1.06 and 0.24 ??g/l, respectively. PAHs having four to six rings were the predominant compounds in particulate matters. The major sources of PAHs and their impacts on the health of certain types of fish such as Mullet and Sea-bass species were studied through the effect on the expression of stress protein related genes. In addition, expression of stress protein related genes (Cytochrome P450, CYP1A and metallothionein, MT-1A) and antioxidant enzymes (Glutathione-S-Transferase and GST alpha) in liver tissues of Mullet and Sea-bass collected from studied locations in Ismailia governorate and Suez gulf were assessed. The results revealed alterations in the hepatic mRNA levels of CYP1A, MT-A and GST alpha genes in Mullet and Sea-bass collected from S1 location at Suez gulf compared with I1 location at Ismailia governorate and with the S2 and I2 locations as reference site. The current findings suggest that the genes encoding stress related proteins and antioxidant enzymes studied in this paper represent valid biomarkers to detect variation of fish stress conditions attributed to PAHs.