Developmental defects induced by gadolinium ions in sea urchin embryos of phylogenetically distant species
Gadolinium (Gd) is nowadays an emergent environmental pollutant: it is a metal of the lanthanide series of the elements whose chelates are commonly employed as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and subsequently released into the aquatic environment. Sea urchin embryos are highly sensitive to several kinds of stressors and able to activate different defense strategies. The aim of this study was to analyze the consequences of embryo exposure to sublethal Gd concentrations. We compared the effects of Gd on the development of four phylogenetically distant sea urchin species: two Mediterranean species, Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula, and two species living in the East coas…