The Fatty Acid Composition of Major Membrane Lipids of the Mussel Crenomytilus grayanus (Dunker, 1853) (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) under Chronic Anthropogenic Pollution: Evaluation of Stability

Abstract

Accumulation of heavy metals and their effect on the composition of fatty acids and molecular species of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) has been studied in the molluskan organs and tissues of the Gray mussel from clean and polluted water areas of Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan. The total load of heavy metals accumulated in the mussel was evaluated with the coefficient of total concentration (ΣCC), which turned out to be extremely high for all the organs studied in mollusks from a polluted site. Cu and Pb accounted for the main share in the total load. It was found that accumulation of heavy metals in the kidneys, gills, and muscles had no effect on the composition of fatty acids, molecular species, and forms of basic membrane lipids of PC and PE. It has been shown that high resistance of membrane lipids of the Gray mussel to chronic anthropogenic pollution with heavy metals allows the mussel to function under conditions of contamination.