Cytochrome P450 1A activity in sea turtle organs

Reptiles play a very important role in worldwide ecosystems but studies involving the role of environmental contaminants in the decline of reptiles are lacking. Sea turtle species are endangered and therefore require non-lethal and minimally invasive means of study. This study looked at Cytochrome P4501A activity in microsomal liver and kidney samples of Green, Kemp’s ridley, and Loggerhead sea turtles. Cytochrome P450s are a superfamily of enzymes and Cytochrome P4501A, a subfamily, are indicators of environmental contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and planar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. Alkoxyresorufin-O- dealkylation assays were utilized to measure CytochromeP4501A activity in order to evaluate which assay is most appropriate to analyze activity in sea turtle samples.

As endangered species, sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act in the United States. The Endangered Species Act protects endangered and threatened species as well as the habitats critical to the species survival. The Act prescribes restrictions on federal agency and individual actions to prohibit interference with endangered species. However, the original Endangered Species Act and the following amendments have provided for exceptions and exemptions. The Endangered Species Act has protected sea turtles to prevent further population decline and protected an important part of oceanic biodiversity.