Sensitivity to cadmium of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera from the Dronne River (France): experimental exposure

Margaritifera margaritifera is a critically endangered species in Europe. Among the causes explaining its decline, metal pollution had never been deeply studied. Thus, an ecotoxicological investigation was developed on this species which comes from the Dronne River (South-West of France). Cadmium (Cd) exposure of mussels at 2 and 5 μg/L for 7 days was conducted to test their vulnerability to this metal, and also the potential endocrine disruption power of Cd. Morphometric analyses, gonad histological observations, metal bioaccumulation, metallothionein (MTs) production, measures of malondialdehyde (MDA), and finally quantitative relative expression analysis of genes involved in various metabolic functions were performed.