Invertebrate Survival Journal (Jul 2005)
The point about oxidative stress in molluscs
Abstract
In the normal metabolism of the aerobic cell, oxygen is used for various biochemical reactions.Because of its two lone electrons of parallel spins, the molecular oxygen is stable. However, oxygengenerates Reactive Oxygenated Species or ROS by successive transfer of electrons. The ROS have astrong reactivity and can potentially interact with all other cellular components (lipids, proteins, DNA).They are at the origin of oxidations in chain by creating radicals. The cell has antioxidant systemswhich limit the effects of the ROS. These systems are composed of enzymes such as glutathionereductase, glutathione peroxidase, etc., and molecules of nonenzymatic nature like the reducedglutathione or vitamins. The production and the destruction of the radicals of oxygen coexist in a weakbalance. If this balance is broken in favour of the ROS, an oxidative stress is generated. Xenobioticscould influence this balance by catalysing production of ROS.
