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Viel T, Cocca M, Esposito R, Amato A, Russo T, Di Cosmo A, Polese G, Manfra L, Libralato G, Zupo V, Costantini M. Effect of biodegradable polymers upon grazing activity of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lmk) revealed by morphological, histological and molecular analyses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 929:172586. [PMID: 38657802 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In the last years biodegradable polymers (BPs) were largely used as real opportunity to solve plastic pollution. Otherwise, their wide use in commercial products, such as packaging sector, is causing a new pollution alarm, mainly because few data reported about their behaviour in the environment and toxicity on marine organisms. Our previous results showed that embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lmk) exposed to poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) showed delay of their development and morphological malformations, also affecting at the molecular levels the expression of several genes involved in different functional responses. In the present work for the first time, we tested the effects of five microplastics (MPs) obtained from BPs such as PBS, poly(butylene succinate), PBSA, poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate), PCL, PHB and PLA, upon grazing activity of the sea urchin revealed by: i. histological analysis seeing at the gonadic tissues; ii. morphological analysis of the deriving embryos; iii. molecular analyses on these embryos to detect variations of the gene expression of eighty-seven genes involved in stress response, detoxification, skeletogenesis, differentiation and development. All these results will help in understanding how MP accumulated inside various organs in the adult sea urchins, and more in general in marine invertebrates, could represent risks for the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Viel
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, Via Campi Flegri, 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Napoli, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Mariacristina Cocca
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, Via Campi Flegri, 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Napoli, Italy
| | - Roberta Esposito
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Amalia Amato
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Tania Russo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Di Cosmo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Gianluca Polese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Loredana Manfra
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Valerio Zupo
- Stazione Zoologica, Sustainable Biotechnology Department. Ischia Marine Centre, Via Buonocore, Ischia, NA, Italy
| | - Maria Costantini
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy.
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Martino C, Chianese T, Chiarelli R, Roccheri MC, Scudiero R. Toxicological Impact of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) on the Reproduction and Development of Aquatic Organisms Using Sea Urchins as Biological Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052876. [PMID: 35270017 PMCID: PMC8911218 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The growing presence of lanthanides in the environment has drawn the attention of the scientific community on their safety and toxicity. The sources of lanthanides in the environment include diagnostic medicine, electronic devices, permanent magnets, etc. Their exponential use and the poor management of waste disposal raise serious concerns about the quality and safety of the ecosystems at a global level. This review focused on the impact of lanthanides in marine organisms on reproductive fitness, fertilization and embryonic development, using the sea urchin as a biological model system. Scientific evidence shows that exposure to lanthanides triggers a wide variety of toxic insults, including reproductive performance, fertilization, redox metabolism, embryogenesis, and regulation of embryonic gene expression. This was thoroughly demonstrated for gadolinium, the most widely used lanthanide in diagnostic medicine, whose uptake in sea urchin embryos occurs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, correlates with decreased calcium absorption and primarily affects skeletal growth, with incorrect regulation of the skeletal gene regulatory network. The results collected on sea urchin embryos demonstrate a variable sensitivity of the early life stages of different species, highlighting the importance of testing the effects of pollution in different species. The accumulation of lanthanides and their emerging negative effects make risk assessment and consequent legislative intervention on their disposal mandatory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Martino
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (C.M.); (R.C.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Teresa Chianese
- Department of Biology, University Federico II, Via Cintia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Roberto Chiarelli
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (C.M.); (R.C.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Maria Carmela Roccheri
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (C.M.); (R.C.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Rosaria Scudiero
- Department of Biology, University Federico II, Via Cintia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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Figueiredo D, Santos WS, Montoni F, Iwai LK, Silva Junior PI. Toposome: Source of antimicrobial molecules in the gonads of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus (Lamarck, 1816). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 109:51-61. [PMID: 33276094 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2020.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sea urchins live in a challenging environment that requires rapid and efficient responses against pathogens and invaders. This response may be also important in reproductive processes once males and females release their gametes into water. In addition, the gonads are organs with dual function: reproductive organ and nutrient reserve, therefore it needs efficient protective mechanisms to preserve the nutrients as well as the reproductive cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and characterize antimicrobial molecules in the male and female gonads of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. Through HPLC purification, antimicrobial activity test and mass spectrometry several antimicrobial molecules were found in the gonads of both gender. Computational in silico analyses showed that they are fragments of a glycoprotein called toposome, also known as major yolk protein (MYP) which is one of the major proteins found in the gonads. Although different functions have been reported for this protein, this is the first description of a direct antimicrobial activity in Lytechinus variegatus. The results indicate that when undergoing proteolysis the toposome generates different fragments with antimicrobial activity which may indicate the importance of a rapid defense response strategy against invading microorganisms in the gonads used by both males and females sea urchins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dal Figueiredo
- Laboratory for Applied Toxinology (LETA/CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo CEP, 05503-900, SP, Brazil; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo CEP, 05508-900, SP, Brazil
| | - W S Santos
- Laboratory for Applied Toxinology (LETA/CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo CEP, 05503-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabio Montoni
- Laboratory for Applied Toxinology (LETA/CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo CEP, 05503-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Leo Kei Iwai
- Laboratory for Applied Toxinology (LETA/CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo CEP, 05503-900, SP, Brazil
| | - P I Silva Junior
- Laboratory for Applied Toxinology (LETA/CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo CEP, 05503-900, SP, Brazil; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo CEP, 05508-900, SP, Brazil.
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Huang X, Huan P, Liu B. A comparative proteomic analysis reveals important proteins for the fertilization and early embryonic development of the oyster Crassostrea gigas. Proteomics 2017; 17. [PMID: 27880033 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201600251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2016] [Revised: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Molluscan development involves important features that are important to understanding not only molluscan ontogeny but also animal evolution. To gain insight into the gamete proteome and protein function in fertilization and early development, we analyzed the proteomes of unfertilized oocytes and early embryos (2/4-cell stage) of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. An oocyte reference map containing 116 protein spots, of which 69 were identified, revealed a high abundance of vitellogenin-derived protein spots. The differentially regulated protein spots during fertilization were screened using comparative proteomic approaches. In total, 18 differentially regulated protein spots were screened, and 15 of these were identified and divided into three groups. The proteins belonging to the first group function in energy supply and antioxidation and are proposed to ensure successful fertilization by regulating the levels of adenosine triphosphate, resisting oxidative stress, and preventing polyspermy. The proteins of the second group are associated with protein synthesis and modification, reflecting active protein synthesis after fertilization. The three proteins belonging to the final group are hypothesized to function in the regulation of embryonic development through the establishment of cell polarity and modulation of methylation reactions in nuclei. These results will enhance our knowledge of molluscan fertilization and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Pin Huan
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, P. R. China
| | - Baozhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, P. R. China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, P. R. China
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Ruocco N, Costantini S, Zupo V, Romano G, Ianora A, Fontana A, Costantini M. High-quality RNA extraction from the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus embryos. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172171. [PMID: 28199408 PMCID: PMC5310894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is a keystone herbivore in the Mediterranean Sea due to its ability to transform macroalgal-dominated communities into barren areas characterized by increased cover of bare substrates and encrusting coralline algae, reduced biodiversity and altered ecosystem functions. P. lividus is also an excellent animal model for toxicology, physiology and biology investigations having been used for more than a century as a model for embryological studies with synchronously developing embryos which are easy to manipulate and analyze for morphological aberrations. Despite its importance for the scientific community, the complete genome is still not fully annotated. To date, only a few molecular tools are available and a few Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) studies have been performed. Here we aimed at setting-up an RNA extraction method to obtain high quality and sufficient quantity of RNA for NGS from P. lividus embryos at the pluteus stage. We compared five different RNA extraction protocols from four different pools of plutei (500, 1000, 2500 and 5000 embryos): TRIzol®, and four widely-used Silica Membrane kits, GenElute™ Mammalian Total RNA Miniprep Kit, RNAqueous® Micro Kit, RNeasy® Micro Kit and Aurum™ Total RNA Mini Kit. The quantity of RNA isolated was evaluated using NanoDrop. The quality, considering the purity, was measured as A260/A280 and A260/230 ratios. The integrity was measured by RNA Integrity Number (RIN). Our results demonstrated that the most efficient procedures were GenElute, RNeasy and Aurum, producing a sufficient quantity of RNA for NGS. The Bioanalyzer profiles and RIN values revealed that the most efficient methods guaranteeing for RNA integrity were RNeasy and Aurum combined with an initial preservation in RNAlater. This research represents the first attempt to standardize a method for high-quality RNA extraction from sea urchin embryos at the pluteus stage, providing a new resource for this established model marine organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Ruocco
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cinthia, Napoli, Italy
- Bio-Organic Chemistry Unit, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry-CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Susan Costantini
- CROM, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”, IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Valerio Zupo
- Center of Villa Dohrn Ischia-Benthic Ecology, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, P.ta S. Pietro, Ischia, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Romano
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Adrianna Ianora
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Angelo Fontana
- Bio-Organic Chemistry Unit, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry-CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Costantini
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy
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Dupont S, Ortega-Martínez O, Thorndyke M. Impact of near-future ocean acidification on echinoderms. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2010; 19:449-462. [PMID: 20130988 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-010-0463-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2010] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
As a consequence of increasing atmospheric CO(2), the world's oceans are warming and slowly becoming more acidic (ocean acidification, OA) and profound changes in marine ecosystems are certain. Calcification is one of the primary targets for studies of the impact of CO(2)-driven climate change in the oceans and one of the key marine groups most likely to be impacted by predicted climate change events are the echinoderms. Echinoderms are a vital component of the marine environment with representatives in virtually every ecosystem, where they are often keystone ecosystem engineers. This paper reviews and analyses what is known about the impact of near-future ocean acidification on echinoderms. A global analysis of the literature reveals that echinoderms are surprisingly robust to OA and that important differences in sensitivity to OA are observed between populations and species. However, this is modulated by parameters such as (1) exposure time with rare longer term experiments revealing negative impacts that are hidden in short or midterm ones; (2) bottlenecks in physiological processes and life-cycle such as stage-specific developmental phenomena that may drive the whole species responses; (3) ecological feedback transforming small scale sub lethal effects into important negative effects on fitness. We hypothesize that populations/species naturally exposed to variable environmental pH conditions may be pre-adapted to future OA highlighting the importance to understand and monitor environmental variations in order to be able to to predict sensitivity to future climate changes. More stress ecology research is needed at the frontier between ecotoxicology and ecology, going beyond standardized tests using model species in order to address multiple water quality factors (e.g. pH, temperature, toxicants) and organism health. However, available data allow us to conclude that near-future OA will have negative impact on echinoderm taxa with likely significant consequences at the ecosystem level.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Dupont
- Department of Marine Ecology, The Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg, Sweden.
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Phylogenetic analysis and homology modelling of Paracentrotus lividus nectin. Mol Divers 2009; 14:653-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s11030-009-9203-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2009] [Accepted: 10/20/2009] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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