Size-dependent biomarker profiles in the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha: implications for freshwater biomonitoring
Abstract
In freshwater biomonitoring, the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha is commonly used as a sentinel organism, with individuals usually standardised by shell length as a proxy for age to limit interindividual variability. However, the relationship between shell length and estimated biological age can vary both within and across populations. This raises questions about the biological relevance of sizebased standardisation and the comparability of data across studies using different size ranges. The present study examined how a battery of biochemical biomarkers, covering energy metabolism, antioxidant and detoxification defences, and cellular damage, varied across five defined size classes distributed along juvenile and adult life stages, sampled during a pre-spawning and a post-spawning period. Biochemical biomarker profiles were differentiated across size classes during the pre-spawning period, consistent with distinct physiological strategies between juveniles and adults, whilst discrimination was reduced during the post-spawning. These results were consistent with body mass patterns, which diverged among classes during pre-spawning but were less differentiated following gamete release. Biomarker profiles thus differed across size classes and sampling period, with a significant interaction between size class and sampling period detected for six of the eleven biomarkers analysed, highlighting the importance of accounting for the size-age relationship in biomonitoring studies to achieve a biologically realistic interpretation of results.
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BibTeX
@article{vernisy2026sizedependent,
title = {{Size-dependent biomarker profiles in the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha: implications for freshwater biomonitoring}},
author = {Chloé de Vernisy and Simon Devin and Claire Caillard and Manon Bain and Sandrine Pain-Devin},
journal = {Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.cbpb.2026.111292},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05839817v1},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Size-dependent biomarker profiles in the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha: implications for freshwater biomonitoring
AU - Chloé de Vernisy
AU - Simon Devin
AU - Claire Caillard
AU - Manon Bain
AU - Sandrine Pain-Devin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
DO - 10.1016/j.cbpb.2026.111292
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05839817v1
AB - In freshwater biomonitoring, the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha is commonly used as a sentinel organism, with individuals usually standardised by shell length as a proxy for age to limit interindividual variability. However, the relationship between shell length and estimated biological age can vary both within and across populations. This raises questions about the biological relevance of sizebased standardisation and the comparability of data across studies using different size ranges. The present study examined how a battery of biochemical biomarkers, covering energy metabolism, antioxidant and detoxification defences, and cellular damage, varied across five defined size classes distributed along juvenile and adult life stages, sampled during a pre-spawning and a post-spawning period. Biochemical biomarker profiles were differentiated across size classes during the pre-spawning period, consistent with distinct physiological strategies between juveniles and adults, whilst discrimination was reduced during the post-spawning. These results were consistent with body mass patterns, which diverged among classes during pre-spawning but were less differentiated following gamete release. Biomarker profiles thus differed across size classes and sampling period, with a significant interaction between size class and sampling period detected for six of the eleven biomarkers analysed, highlighting the importance of accounting for the size-age relationship in biomonitoring studies to achieve a biologically realistic interpretation of results.
SN - 1096-4959
SN - 1096-4959
ER -