Identification of metal stress response transcripts in Gracilaria domingensis

Abstract

The concern for metal contamination in the aquatic environment is growing in recent years in Brazil, mainly because of the increase in industrial production and the occupation of coastal areas, which resulted in increased dumping of materials containing this type of pollutant. The use of algae for the detection and study of these metals was defined by several features like by their position on the base of the food chain making it the component of the initial introduction of these metals in the marine food chain that, being affected by biomagnification makes aliment used by man unsuitable. The ability of these organisms to decontaminate the environment through diverse metabolic processes also makes their study interesting, as well as their worldwide distribution that makes it a good biomonitor for controlling contamination dispersion, among others. Whereas, contamination is toxic when it becomes bioavailable, that is, when starts to induce molecular and cellular responses in environment's organisms, the determination of early signs of reaction, as the presence of particular RNA molecules, will allow more rapid onset of containment measures.The choice of Gracilaria domingensis, a native seaweed, reflects the lack of molecular data for red algae, especially brazilians. Thus the study of the transcriptome will not only allow a deeper knowledge about the metabolic pathways stress response by these pollutants, but also provide gene sequences of this organism for future studies.