INVESTIGATION OF THE COPPER CONTENT IN TISSUES OF THE MOLLUSK PLANORBARIUS CORNEUS AND INFLUENCE OF THE TREMATODE INFECTION ON THE PHENOLOXIDASE ACTIVITY OF THE HAEMOLYMPH
The dynamics of the accumulation of copper ions by the tissues of the pulmonary mollusk Planorbarius corneus has been studied. The dependence of the copper concentration in tissues of non-infected and trematode-infected mollusks on its concentration in the environment has been analyzed. Regardless of the copper concentration in water, trematode-infected mollusks have an increased level of phenoloxidase activity in hemolymph. In the experiment it was shown that silver - an isoelectronic double of copper - is capable to enter and accumulate by different ways in various tissues and organs of P. corneus. The highest concentration of silver is found in the hepatopancreas. At the same time, the concentration of copper in tissues, with the exception of the hemolymph, decreases. After the abolition of the Ag-medium, the excretion of silver begins, and the concentration of copper in tissues is restored to control values. As the result of research, done on mollusks of natural populations, the following patterns have been found. Regardless of the copper concentration in the environment, its concentration in the hemolymph is maintained at a constantly low level. There is also a correlation between the copper content in the hemolymph and the trematode infection of mollusks. The activity of the hemolymph tyrosinase does not depend on the copper concentration in water, but is significantly higher in infected mollusks. The observed strict control of copper entering to the hemolymph indicates the existence of specialized transport routes for the copper transfer and control of the production of copper-containing enzymes, in the hemolymph phenoloxidase particularly. A direct correlation between the copper concentration in the environment and its concentration in the hepatopancreas of P. corneus has been found.