Project #1: Using parasites as biological tags to assess stocks of Atlantic croaker

Project #2: Philometroides bulbosus, a nematode parasite of the southern flounder

Project #3: Molecular mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation in acanthocephalans

Using parasites as biological tags to assess stocks of Atlantic croaker: Tiffany Baker – Biology Major – Tiffany graduated in May 2003. She is planning on going to Veterinary School.

Parasites are often used as biological tags to study the migration of fish and marine mammals because different parasites thrive in different environmental and ecological conditions. Using this approach we are examining the parasite communities of the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, off of the eastern coast of the United States from Long Island, N.Y. to Cape Canaveral, Fla. in order to distinguish possible stocks of these commercially important fish. Initial results show the presence of various species of cestodes, acanthocephalans, nematodes, monogeneans, digeneans, and copepods that we are currently identifying. This three-year project is being performed in collaboration with SCDNR (PI: C. Wenner). Funded by a NMFS/NOAA grant (NA 17 FF2885).

Philometroides bulbosus, a nematode parasite of the southern flounder: Claire Golléty – Marine Biology Major – Claire will graduate in May 2004 and she is planning on going to Graduate School to pursue her Ph.D. in marine biology.

The philometrid nematode Philometroides bulbosus is a parasite of the southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma and we report it for the first time from South Carolina. A year long survey was performed to establish the presence and abundance of the parasite in our area. Our study focused on female worms, which are found encased in the buccal and gill cavities of the flounders. Results revealed the presence of P. bulbosus in 61% of the 109 flounders observed, throughout the year, and at all 10 sites surveyed in the South Carolina Estuarine system and off the coast. Another aspect of this study focuses on the nematode’s life cycle, which is unknown. Experiments are in progress to identify intermediate hosts of this parasite. This study is carried out in collaboration with the Inshore Fisheries Group at SC-DNR. Funded by the SC Sea Grant Consortium (NA 16 RG 2250) and the College of Charleston Summer Undergraduate Research program.

Molecular mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation in acanthocephalans: Elodie Rolando- Biochemistry major – Elodie is currently working on this project, which is carried out in collaboration with Dr. Eric James from MUSC. Elodie is planning on graduating in December 2004.

Acanthocephalans are intestinal worms found as adults in most vertebrates. Recently, some species of fish and mammal acanthocephalans were shown to accumulate heavy metals such as cadmium and lead at levels several fold higher than their hosts’ tissues and the exposure doses. To our knowledge, acanthocephalans are unique in that they appear to be extremely tolerant of these high concentrations of heavy metals. However, the molecular mechanism of such bioaccumulation of heavy metals by these worms is not known.

We hypothesized that similarly to what occurs in other organisms, acanthocephalans use an uptake mechanism involving carrier/transport proteins then a specific binding protein which allows the accumulation. In collaboration with Dr. Eric James from MUSC, we initiated a study to characterize these proteins by using the rat acanthocephalan, Moniliformis moniliformis as a model. The ultimate goal of this research is to understand the process(es) that prevent acanthocephalans from being affected by heavy metal accumulation. Identification of such process(es) would allow applications in bioremediation and in developing new methods concerning heavy metal therapy and detoxification. Funded by a BRIN grant ( 5P20RR16461-03) from the BRIN program of the National Center for Research Resources.