Molecular Responses to Environmental Contamination

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Abstract
This chapter focuses on a number of enzymes and other proteins that show responses to pollutants. It provides background information on the nature, function, and biological importance of the protein or metabolic systems. The chapter examines the mechanisms by which the systems respond to chemicals, the sensitivity and specificity of the response, and the biological importance of changes in the content or activity of these proteins. It presents the potential for using these proteins as biomarkers and evaluates the responsiveness of systems to concentrations of chemicals that actually occur in contaminated systems. The effects of chemical contaminants can be viewed as occurring at different levels of biological organization, extending from the molecular or biochemical level, to the physiology of the individual, and ultimately to the levels of population and ecosystem. A biomarker is a biochemical or physiological response to anthropogenic contaminants, one that can provide a sensitive index of exposure or sublethal stress at the organismal level.

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