Lysosomal enzymes in ecological and biochemical adaptations of mussels and amphipods inhabiting Kandalaksha bay of the White Sea

The great social and economic importance of the White Sea and the increasing anthropogenic impact on its basin speak of the significant role of the research aimed at the assessment of the sea’s ecological status and at the stability of the White Sea biota to pollution. Bivalves Mytilus edulis L. and crustacean amphipods Gammaridae sp. collected from the littoral zones differed in the level and type of contamination. They were used as test objects in biomonitoring as they represent the White Sea coast macrozoobenthos. The activity of lysosomal enzymes playing an important role in protective and adaptive reactions of the organism was determined in the soft tissues of mussels and amphipods. The mussels’ response to different types of pollutants was shown in the decreasing activity of acid phosphatase and nucleases. However, the activity of ß-glucosidase increased in mollusks collected from the sites contaminated by petroleum products. The presence of toxicants induced an increase in adaptation in the majority of enzymes in crustaceans. Particularly, the increase of RNase activity was noticed under the influence of domestic sewage, heavy metals, and radionuclides. At the same time, the DNase activity was stable. The results show that invertebrates variable in biological features use different strategies of biochemical adaptation.