Presence of cytochrome P450 in the Caribbean corals Siderastrea siderea and Montastraea faveolata

Abstract

Cytochrome P450 was detected in the animal tissue of the scleractinian corals Siderastrea siderea and Montastraea faveolata collected from a reef site on the west coast of Venezuela. The concentration of P450 in these species (0.4–2.1 nmol mg–1 of microsomal protein) was similar to the levels found in other marine invertebrates, but higher than previously reported for other organisms of the phylum Cnidaria. Maximum P450 content was detected in samples collected during the reproductive season of S. siderea. These results confirm the presence of a functional cytochrome P450 in two coral species. Its usefulness as a biomarker for environmental monitoring has to be further investigated.

Keywords

• Cytochrome P450
• coral reefs
• cnidarians
• scleractinians
• biomarker