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Abraham E, Athapaththu AMGK, Atanasova KR, Chen QY, Corcoran TJ, Piloto J, Wu CW, Ratnayake R, Luesch H, Choe KP. Chemical Genetics in C. elegans Identifies Anticancer Mycotoxins Chaetocin and Chetomin as Potent Inducers of a Nuclear Metal Homeostasis Response. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1180-1193. [PMID: 38652683 PMCID: PMC11102292 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
C. elegans numr-1/2 (nuclear-localized metal-responsive) is an identical gene pair encoding a nuclear protein previously shown to be activated by cadmium and disruption of the integrator RNA metabolism complex. We took a chemical genetic approach to further characterize regulation of this novel metal response by screening 41,716 compounds and extracts for numr-1p::GFP activation. The most potent activator was chaetocin, a fungal 3,6-epidithiodiketopiperazine (ETP) with promising anticancer activity. Chaetocin activates numr-1/2 strongly in the alimentary canal but is distinct from metal exposure, because it represses canonical cadmium-responsive metallothionine genes. Chaetocin has diverse targets in cancer cells including thioredoxin reductase, histone lysine methyltransferase, and acetyltransferase p300/CBP; further work is needed to identify the mechanism in C. elegans as genetic disruption and RNAi screening of homologues did not induce numr-1/2 in the alimentary canal and chaetocin did not affect markers of integrator dysfunction. We demonstrate that disulfides in chaetocin and chetomin, a dimeric ETP analog, are required to induce numr-1/2. ETP monomer gliotoxin, despite possessing a disulfide linkage, had almost no effect on numr-1/2, suggesting a dimer requirement. Chetomin inhibits C. elegans growth at low micromolar levels, and loss of numr-1/2 increases sensitivity; C. elegans and Chaetomiaceae fungi inhabit similar environments raising the possibility that numr-1/2 functions as a defense mechanism. There is no direct orthologue of numr-1/2 in humans, but RNaseq suggests that chaetocin affects expression of cellular processes linked to stress response and metal homeostasis in colorectal cancer cells. Our results reveal interactions between metal response gene regulation and ETPs and identify a potential mechanism of resistance to this versatile class of preclinical compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elijah Abraham
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Kalina R. Atanasova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Qi-Yin Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Taylor J. Corcoran
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Juan Piloto
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Cheng-Wei Wu
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S&N 5B4 Canada
| | - Ranjala Ratnayake
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Hendrik Luesch
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Keith P. Choe
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Ohse VA, Klotz LO, Priebs J. Copper Homeostasis in the Model Organism C. elegans. Cells 2024; 13:727. [PMID: 38727263 PMCID: PMC11083455 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular and organismic copper (Cu) homeostasis is regulated by Cu transporters and Cu chaperones to ensure the controlled uptake, distribution and export of Cu ions. Many of these processes have been extensively investigated in mammalian cell culture, as well as in humans and in mammalian model organisms. Most of the human genes encoding proteins involved in Cu homeostasis have orthologs in the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Starting with a compilation of human Cu proteins and their orthologs, this review presents an overview of Cu homeostasis in C. elegans, comparing it to the human system, thereby establishing the basis for an assessment of the suitability of C. elegans as a model to answer mechanistic questions relating to human Cu homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lars-Oliver Klotz
- Nutrigenomics Section, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany;
| | - Josephine Priebs
- Nutrigenomics Section, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany;
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Essig YJ, Leszczyszyn OI, Almutairi N, Harrison-Smith A, Blease A, Zeitoun-Ghandour S, Webb SM, Blindauer CA, Stürzenbaum SR. Juggling cadmium detoxification and zinc homeostasis: A division of labour between the two C. elegans metallothioneins. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 350:141021. [PMID: 38151062 PMCID: PMC11134313 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.141021] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
The chemical properties of toxic cadmium and essential zinc are very similar, and organisms require intricate mechanisms that drive selective handling of metals. Previously regarded as unspecific "metal sponges", metallothioneins (MTLs) are emerging as metal selectivity filters. By utilizing C. elegans mtl-1 and mtl-2 knockout strains, metal accumulation in single worms, single copy fluorescent-tagged transgenes, isoform specific qPCR and lifespan studies it was possible to demonstrate that the handling of cadmium and zinc by the two C. elegans metallothioneins differs fundamentally: the MTL-2 protein can handle both zinc and cadmium, but when it becomes unavailable, either via a knockout or by elevated cadmium exposure, MTL-1 takes over zinc handling, leaving MTL-2 to sequester cadmium. This division of labour is reflected in the folding behaviour of the proteins: MTL-1 folded well in presence of zinc but not cadmium, the reverse was the case for MTL-2. These differences are in part mediated by a zinc-specific mononuclear His3Cys site in the C-terminal insertion of MTL-1; its removal affected the entire C-terminal domain and may shift its metal selectivity towards zinc. Overall, we uncover how metallothionein isoform-specific responses and protein properties allow C. elegans to differentiate between toxic cadmium and essential zinc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yona J Essig
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Oksana I Leszczyszyn
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Norah Almutairi
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Alix Blease
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Sam M Webb
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | | | - Stephen R Stürzenbaum
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK.
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Huang ST, Lu JH, Jualo SM, Tayo LL, Mansor WNW, Lai YC, Wang CL, Chao HR. Titanium Dioxide (TiO 2) Nanoparticle Toxicity in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model. TOXICS 2023; 11:989. [PMID: 38133390 PMCID: PMC10747172 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11120989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Titanium dioxide is a compound that is used in the food, cosmetic, and paint industries; however, it is still toxic to humans and the environment. This study determined the toxicities of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) in a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model. The effects of commercially available (C-TiO2) and synthetically (S-TiO2) prepared TiO2 NP solutions on lethality, lifespan, growth, reproduction, locomotion, and gene expression were studied in C. elegans. Exposure to TiO2 NPs (0.0, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/L) did not result in any change to the survival rate or body length of the nematodes, regardless of the concentration. However, there was a decrease in the reproduction (brood size) and locomotion (body bending and head thrashing) of the nematodes as the TiO2 NP concentration increased. The longevity of the nematodes was shortened following TiO2 NP exposure. The gene expression of sod-1, sod-3, ctl-1, ctl-2, cyp35A2, mlt-1, and mlt-2 in the nematodes showed that there was an overexpression of all genes when the worms were exposed to 1 mg/L C-TiO2 or 10 mg/L S-TiO2. It was therefore concluded that compared with S-TiO2, C-TiO2 possibly causes more toxicity or genotoxicity in the C. elegans model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen-Ting Huang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County, Neipu 912, Taiwan;
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pingtung Veterans General Hospital, Pingtung County, Pingtung City 900, Taiwan
| | - Jian-He Lu
- Center for Agricultural, Forestry, Fishery, Livestock and Aquaculture Carbon Emission Inventory and Emerging Compounds, General Research Service Center, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County, Neipu 912, Taiwan;
| | - Sherwin M. Jualo
- School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering and Science, Mapúa University, Intramuros, Manila 1002, Philippines; (S.M.J.); (L.L.T.)
| | - Lemmuel L. Tayo
- School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering and Science, Mapúa University, Intramuros, Manila 1002, Philippines; (S.M.J.); (L.L.T.)
| | - Wan-Nurdiyana-Wan Mansor
- Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology & Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur 21300, Malaysia;
| | - Yi-Chieh Lai
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Yanchao, Kaohsiung City 824005, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Lung Wang
- Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Cheng Shiu University, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City 833, Taiwan;
- Center for Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City 833, Taiwan
| | - How-Ran Chao
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County, Neipu 912, Taiwan;
- School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering and Science, Mapúa University, Intramuros, Manila 1002, Philippines; (S.M.J.); (L.L.T.)
- Institute of Food Safety Management, College of Agriculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County, Neipu 912, Taiwan
- School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Sanmin, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan
- Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Kampus C Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
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5
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Qu Z, Liu L, Wu X, Guo P, Yu Z, Wang P, Song Y, Zheng S, Liu N. Cadmium-induced reproductive toxicity combined with a correlation to the oogenesis process and competing endogenous RNA networks based on a Caenorhabditis elegans model. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 268:115687. [PMID: 37976926 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115687] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of the heavy metal Cadmium (Cd) in the ovaries and placenta can affect the structure and function of these organs and induce female reproductive toxicity. This toxicity may be due to Cd's similarity to estrogen and its ability to disrupt endocrine systems. However, the exact molecular mechanism by which Cd causes reproductive toxicity at the transcriptome level remains poorly understood. Hence, this study aimed to observe Cd-induced reproductive damage at the gene level, scrutinize the repercussions of Cd exposure on oogenesis, and explicate the putative pathogenesis of Cd-induced oogenesis based on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as an in vivo model. The results showed that Cd exposure significantly decreased the number of offspring and prolonged the reproductive span of C. elegans. Cd exposure also reduced the number of cells in mitosis and the pachytene and diakinesis stages of meiosis, thereby disrupting oogenesis. Combined with transcriptional sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, a total of 3167 DEmRNAs were identified. Regarding gene expression, cul-6, mum-2, and vang-1 were found to be related to Cd-induced reproductive toxicity, and their competing endogenous RNA networks were constructed. We observed that mutations of mom-2 and vang-1 in the Wnt pathway could induce susceptibility to Cd-caused meiosis injury. In conclusion, the results indicated that Cd could impair the oogenesis of C. elegans and the Wnt pathway might serve as a protective mechanism against Cd reproductive toxicity. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the damaging effects and molecular biological mechanisms of Cd on the human reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Qu
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, PR China
| | - Limin Liu
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 540001, PR China
| | - Xiaoliang Wu
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Peisen Guo
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 540001, PR China
| | - Zengli Yu
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 540001, PR China
| | - Peixi Wang
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, PR China
| | - Yuzhen Song
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, PR China
| | - Shanqing Zheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, PR China.
| | - Nan Liu
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, PR China; College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 540001, PR China; Institute of Environment and Health, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518116, PR China.
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Sun Z, Qin J, Yuan H, Guo M, Shang M, Niu S, Li Y, Li Q, Xue Y. Recombinant human metallothionein-III alleviates oxidative damage induced by copper and cadmium in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Appl Toxicol 2023. [PMID: 36918407 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant human metallothionein III (rh-MT-III) is a genetically engineered product produced by Escherichia coli fermentation technology. Its molecules contain abundant reducing sulfhydryl groups, which possess the ability to bind heavy metal ions. The present study was to evaluate the binding effects of rh-MT-III against copper and cadmium in vitro and to investigate the antioxidant activity of rh-MT-III using Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo. For in vitro experiments, the binding rates of copper and cadmium were 91.4% and 97.3% for rh-MT-III at a dosage of 200 μg/mL at 10 h, respectively. For in vivo assays, the oxidative stress induced by copper (CuSO4 , 10 μg/mL) and cadmium (CdCl2 , 10 μg/mL) was significantly reduced after 72 h of exposure to different doses of rh-MT-III (5-500 μg/mL), indicated by restoring locomotion behavior and growth, and reducing malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels in C. elegans. Moreover, rh-MT-III decreased the deposition of lipofuscin and fat content, which could delay the progression of aging. In addition, rh-MT-III (500 μg/mL) promoted the up-regulation of Mtl-1 and Mtl-2 gene expression in C. elegans, which could enhance the resistance to oxidative stress by increasing the enzymatic activity of antioxidant defense system and scavenging free radicals. The results indicated that supplemental rh-MT-III could effectively protect C. elegans from heavy metal stress, providing an experimental basis for the future application and development of rh-MT-III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuoyi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianxin Qin
- Suzhou Hvha Medical Technology Development Co., Ltd., Changshu, China
| | - Hailiang Yuan
- Suzhou Hvha Medical Technology Development Co., Ltd., Changshu, China
| | - Menghao Guo
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mengting Shang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuyan Niu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Changshu Municipal Market Supervision Administration, Changshu, China
| | - Yuying Xue
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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Sweet tea (Rubus Suavissmus S. Lee) polysaccharides promote the longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans through autophagy-dependent insulin and mitochondrial pathways. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 207:883-892. [PMID: 35351545 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.03.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The fine structure of sweet tea polysaccharide (STP-60a) has been characterized. However, the biological activity of STP-60a has not been extensively explored. This study aims to evaluate the anti-aging activity of STP-60a using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism. 400 μg/mL of STP-60a increased the mean lifespan of C. elegans by 22.88%, reduced the lipofuscin content by 33.01%, and improved the survival rate under heat stress and oxidative stress by 32.33% and 27.63%, respectively. Further research in lifespan-related mutants revealed that STP-60a exerted anti-aging effects mainly through insulin and mitochondrial signaling pathways. Through qRT-PCR and microscopic imaging of transgenic nematodes, we found that 400 μg/mL of STP-60a increased the expression of daf-16, skn-1, and hsf-1 downstream of the insulin pathway by 1.68-fold, 1.88-fold, and 1.03-fold, respectively, and promoted the accumulation of daf-16 and skn-1 in the nucleus. STP-60a also significantly regulated the function of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and unfolded protein recovery system. Furthermore, STP-60a activated the autophagy level in C. elegans, and the mutation of daf-2 or clk-1 inhibited the upregulation of autophagy genes by STP-60a, suggesting that autophagy acted as an effector of the insulin and mitochondrial pathways during STP-60a antiaging.
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Pei C, Sun L, Zhao Y, Ni S, Nie Y, Wu L, Xu A. Enhanced Uptake of Arsenic Induces Increased Toxicity with Cadmium at Non-Toxic Concentrations on Caenorhabditis elegans. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10030133. [PMID: 35324758 PMCID: PMC8952731 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10030133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) are widely distributed pollutants that co-exist in the environment; however, their joint toxicity on living organisms is still largely unknown. In this study, we explored the joint toxicity of concurrent exposure to Cd and different As species at low concentrations on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) in comparison to single exposures. Endpoints such as germ cell apoptosis, the number of oocytes, brood size, and the life span were employed to evaluate the combined effects of Cd and As on exposed C. elegans from L3 or L4 stages. Our results showed that concurrent exposure to non-toxic concentrations of Cd and As caused the synergy of reproductive and developmental toxicity. The presence of Cd promoted the accumulation of As in both germline and intestine detected by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Although a conversion of As(III) to As(V) was detected as dependent on pH according to the microenvironment of the intestine in the worm, there was no significant difference of toxicity in C. elegans concurrently exposed to Cd and different As species. Using loss-of-function mutant strains, As was deemed responsible for the enhanced joint toxicity, and in which gcs-1 played a key protective role. These data help to better evaluate the comprehensive adverse effects of concurrent exposure of heavy metals at low concentrations on living organisms in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Pei
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (C.P.); (L.S.); (Y.Z.); (S.N.); (L.W.)
| | - Lingyan Sun
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (C.P.); (L.S.); (Y.Z.); (S.N.); (L.W.)
| | - Yanan Zhao
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (C.P.); (L.S.); (Y.Z.); (S.N.); (L.W.)
| | - Shenyao Ni
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (C.P.); (L.S.); (Y.Z.); (S.N.); (L.W.)
| | - Yaguang Nie
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (C.P.); (L.S.); (Y.Z.); (S.N.); (L.W.)
- Correspondence: (Y.N.); (A.X.)
| | - Lijun Wu
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (C.P.); (L.S.); (Y.Z.); (S.N.); (L.W.)
| | - An Xu
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (C.P.); (L.S.); (Y.Z.); (S.N.); (L.W.)
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Correspondence: (Y.N.); (A.X.)
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Sands B, Yun S, Mendenhall AR. Introns control stochastic allele expression bias. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6527. [PMID: 34764277 PMCID: PMC8585970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26798-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoallelic expression (MAE) or extreme allele bias can account for incomplete penetrance, missing heritability and non-Mendelian diseases. In cancer, MAE is associated with shorter patient survival times and higher tumor grade. Prior studies showed that stochastic MAE is caused by stochastic epigenetic silencing, in a gene and tissue-specific manner. Here, we used C. elegans to study stochastic MAE in vivo. We found allele bias/MAE to be widespread within C. elegans tissues, presenting as a continuum from fully biallelic to MAE. We discovered that the presence of introns within alleles robustly decreases MAE. We determined that introns control MAE at distinct loci, in distinct cell types, with distinct promoters, and within distinct coding sequences, using a 5'-intron position-dependent mechanism. Bioinformatic analysis showed human intronless genes are significantly enriched for MAE. Our experimental evidence demonstrates a role for introns in regulating MAE, possibly explaining why some mutations within introns result in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Sands
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Soo Yun
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Alexander R. Mendenhall
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
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Wakabayashi T, Nojiri Y, Takahashi-Watanabe M. Multiple Chemosensory Neurons Mediate Avoidance Behavior to Rare Earth Ions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Biol Trace Elem Res 2021; 199:2764-2769. [PMID: 32914378 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-020-02375-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As rare earth (RE) metals are abundantly present in the soil, in spite of their name, it is conceivable that organisms may encounter and interact with RE ions. In the present study, we demonstrated that the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans avoids RE ions, such as yttrium and all examined lanthanide ions, which exhibit toxic effects on nematodes. We also demonstrated that the chemosensory system of this animal mediates avoidance behavior toward RE ions similar to heavy metal (HM) ion avoidance. The C. elegans dyf-11(pe554) mutant is unable to respond to chemosensory cues because it lacks all ciliated endings of the chemosensory neurons required for the detection of environmental chemicals. Cell-specific rescue of the dyf-11 mutant and cell-specific genetic ablation studies revealed that the avoidance behavior toward HM and RE ions was mediated by a partially overlapping but distinct subset of chemosensory neurons (ASH, ADL, ASE, ADF, and ASK). With the help of multiple chemosensory neurons, worms may improve the fidelity of avoidance behavior to evade RE ions. Among the chemosensory neurons in C. elegans, ADF and ASK neurons were involved in RE avoidance, but not in HM avoidance. These results suggested that ADF and ASK neurons in C. elegans have RE-selective mechanisms to mediate the avoidance response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tokumitsu Wakabayashi
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan.
| | - Yui Nojiri
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Miwa Takahashi-Watanabe
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
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11
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Chowdhury MI, Sana T, Panneerselvan L, Dharmarajan R, Megharaj M. Acute Toxicity and Transgenerational Effects of Perfluorobutane Sulfonate on Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2021; 40:1973-1982. [PMID: 33792982 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), due to its increasing use as an alternative to perfluooctane sulfonate (PFOS), is widely detected in humans and the environment, necessitating the evaluation of its potential ecotoxicological risk. We assessed the toxicity and bioaccumulation potential of PFBS in Caenorhabditis elegans, using lethality, locomotion, reproduction, life span, growth, and chemotactic behavior as the effect parameters. In addition, a total of 6 generations of exposed parent animals were monitored for locomotion, brood, and life span behaviors. Life span and brood size were significantly reduced in parent nematodes (P0) following exposure to ≥0.1 mM PFBS, but these negative effects did not transfer to the progeny. Although there was no remarkable effect on reproduction and life span in parent worms exposed to ≤0.01 mM PFBS, multigenerational exposure at 0.0005 mM significantly affected the F4 and F5 progeny. Furthermore, 0.01 to 2.0 mM of PFBS substantially retarded the locomotion behavior of P0 worms. At higher concentrations such as 1.0 mM, this negative effect on locomotion was transferred to the next generation (F1) but later recovered from F2 progeny onward. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that chronic exposure to PFBS at higher concentrations can cause behavioral toxicity and could be transferred to the progeny. These findings have significant implications for the environmental risk assessment of PFBS. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1973-1982. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjurul Islam Chowdhury
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tanmoy Sana
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Logeshwaran Panneerselvan
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rajarathnam Dharmarajan
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mallavarapu Megharaj
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
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12
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Hirota K, Matsuoka M. N-acetylcysteine restores the cadmium toxicity of Caenorhabditis elegans. Biometals 2021; 34:1207-1216. [PMID: 34146190 DOI: 10.1007/s10534-021-00322-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cadmium is a well-known environmental toxicant. At the cellular level, exposure to cadmium results in cytotoxic effects through the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Although cadmium exposure leads to the dysfunction of various organs, the underlying mechanisms of the toxic effects of cadmium in vivo are still largely unknown. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a useful model animal and exhibits unique biological reactions in response to environmental toxicants. In this study, the toxic mechanisms of cadmium exposure in C. elegans were investigated using N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which has dual functions, i.e., as a chelator of metals and as an antioxidant. NAC did not inhibit the uptake of cadmium into nematodes, suggesting that NAC did not function as a chelator of cadmium under these experimental conditions. Based on this finding, we investigated the effect of NAC as an antioxidant on representative phenotypic traits caused by cadmium exposure-reduced body length, aversion behavior, and shortened lifespan. NAC did not reverse the decreased body size but did clearly restore the aversion behavior and the shortened lifespan. These data suggest that aversion behavior and shortened lifespan are mediated by oxidative stress in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Hirota
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 162-8666, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Masato Matsuoka
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 162-8666, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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Hartman JH, Widmayer SJ, Bergemann CM, King DE, Morton KS, Romersi RF, Jameson LE, Leung MCK, Andersen EC, Taubert S, Meyer JN. Xenobiotic metabolism and transport in Caenorhabditis elegans. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2021; 24:51-94. [PMID: 33616007 PMCID: PMC7958427 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2021.1884921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a major model in biomedical and environmental toxicology. Numerous papers on toxicology and pharmacology in C. elegans have been published, and this species has now been adopted by investigators in academic toxicology, pharmacology, and drug discovery labs. C. elegans has also attracted the interest of governmental regulatory agencies charged with evaluating the safety of chemicals. However, a major, fundamental aspect of toxicological science remains underdeveloped in C. elegans: xenobiotic metabolism and transport processes that are critical to understanding toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics, and extrapolation to other species. The aim of this review was to initially briefly describe the history and trajectory of the use of C. elegans in toxicological and pharmacological studies. Subsequently, physical barriers to chemical uptake and the role of the worm microbiome in xenobiotic transformation were described. Then a review of what is and is not known regarding the classic Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III processes was performed. In addition, the following were discussed (1) regulation of xenobiotic metabolism; (2) review of published toxicokinetics for specific chemicals; and (3) genetic diversity of these processes in C. elegans. Finally, worm xenobiotic transport and metabolism was placed in an evolutionary context; key areas for future research highlighted; and implications for extrapolating C. elegans toxicity results to other species discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H Hartman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Samuel J Widmayer
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
| | | | - Dillon E King
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Katherine S Morton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Riccardo F Romersi
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Laura E Jameson
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University - West Campus, Glendale, Arizona, United States
| | - Maxwell C K Leung
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University - West Campus, Glendale, Arizona, United States
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
| | - Stefan Taubert
- Dept. Of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, the University of British Colombia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joel N Meyer
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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14
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Abbass M, Chen Y, Arlt VM, Stürzenbaum SR. Benzo[a]pyrene and Caenorhabditis elegans: defining the genotoxic potential in an organism lacking the classical CYP1A1 pathway. Arch Toxicol 2021; 95:1055-1069. [PMID: 33420596 PMCID: PMC7904753 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02968-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is bioactivated in most organisms by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, mainly CYP1A1, ultimately resulting in the reactive metabolite BaP-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) capable of covalently binding to DNA and forming adducts. This step has been defined as the key process in cancer initiation in humans. However, limited knowledge is available about the consequences of BaP exposure in organisms lacking this classical CYP1A1 pathway, one example is the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The aim of this study was to define the genotoxic potential of BaP in C. elegans and to advance our understanding of xenobiotic processing in the absence of the CYP1A1 pathway. Exposure to high concentrations of BaP (0-40 µM) significantly affected life cycle endpoints of C. elegans, which were manifested by a reduced reproductive output and shortened life span. An optimised comet assay revealed that DNA damage increased in a dose-dependent manner; however, no bulky DNA adducts (dG-N2-BPDE) were observed by 32P-postlabelling. Global transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq identified responsive transcript families, most prominently members of the cyp-35 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) enzyme families, both of which are linked to xenobiotic metabolism. Strains harbouring mutations in the cyp-35A2 and cyp-35A3 genes were notably less prone to BaP-mediated toxicity, and BaP led to longevity in cyp-35A5 mutants. In summary, BaP induces transcriptional, genotoxic and phenotypic responses in C. elegans, despite the absence of the classical CYP1A1 bioactivation pathway. This provides first evidence that parallel pathways are implicated in BaP metabolism in C. elegans and this seems to be mediated via the cyp-35 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Abbass
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yuzhi Chen
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Volker M Arlt
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.,Toxicology Department, GAB Consulting GmbH, 69126, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephen R Stürzenbaum
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
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15
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Earley BJ, Mendoza AD, Tan CH, Kornfeld K. Zinc homeostasis and signaling in the roundworm C. elegans. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1868:118882. [PMID: 33017595 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
C. elegans is a powerful model for studies of zinc biology. Here we review recent discoveries and emphasize the advantages of this model organism. Methods for manipulating and measuring zinc levels have been developed in or adapted to the worm. The C. elegans genome encodes highly conserved zinc transporters, and their expression and function are beginning to be characterized. Homeostatic mechanisms have evolved to respond to high and low zinc conditions. The pathway for high zinc homeostasis has been recently elucidated based on the discovery of the master regulator of high zinc homeostasis, HIZR-1. A parallel pathway for low zinc homeostasis is beginning to emerge based on the discovery of the Low Zinc Activation promoter element. Zinc has been established to play a role in two cell fate determination events, and accumulating evidence suggests zinc may function as a second messenger signaling molecule during vulval cell development and sperm activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Earley
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Adelita D Mendoza
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Chieh-Hsiang Tan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, United States of America
| | - Kerry Kornfeld
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America.
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16
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Heaton A, Faulconer E, Milligan E, Kroetz MB, Weir SM, Glaberman S. Interspecific Variation in Nematode Responses to Metals. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2020; 39:1006-1016. [PMID: 32072668 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Performing toxicity testing on multiple species with differing degrees of evolutionary relatedness can provide important information on how chemical sensitivity varies among species and can help pinpoint the biological drivers of species sensitivity. Such knowledge could ultimately be used to design better multispecies predictive ecological risk assessment models and identify particularly sensitive species. However, laboratory toxicity tests involving multiple species can also be resource intensive, especially when each species has unique husbandry conditions. We performed lethality tests with 2 metals, copper chloride and zinc chloride, on 5 different nematode species, which are nested in their degree of evolutionary relatedness: Caenorhabditis briggsae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Oscheius myriophila, Oscheius tipulae, and Pristionchus pacificus. All species were successfully cultured and tested concurrently with limited resources, demonstrating that inexpensive, multispecies nematode toxicity testing systems are achievable. The results indicate that P. pacificus is the most sensitive to both metals. Conversely, C. elegans is the least sensitive species to copper, but the second most sensitive to zinc, indicating that species relationships do not necessarily predict species sensitivity. Toxicity testing with additional nematode species and types of chemicals is feasible and will help form more generalizable conclusions about relative species sensitivity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1006-1016. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Heaton
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | | | - Emma Milligan
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Mary B Kroetz
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Scott M Weir
- Department of Biology, Queens University of Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott Glaberman
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
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17
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Lu Q, Bu Y, Ma L, Liu R. Transgenerational reproductive and developmental toxicity of tebuconazole in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Appl Toxicol 2020; 40:578-591. [PMID: 31960463 DOI: 10.1002/jat.3927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The transgenerational reproductive and developmental toxicity of tebuconazole (TEB) in Caenorhabditis elegans was investigated over five generations (P0 - F4). Only parental C.elegans (P0) were exposed to TEB (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/L) for 24 h and the subsequent offspring (F1-F4) were grown under TEB-free conditions. TEB exposure caused dose-dependent reproductive defects and developmental impairments in C.elegans. In the P0 generation reproductive defects were observed such as: reduced brood size and embryo hatchability, prolonged generation time, retarded gonadal development, and slower germline proliferation, even at 0.01 μg/L, together with developmental toxicity with significant reduced body length and narrowed body width at 10 μg/L. Additionally, the brood size significantly reduced in F2, which began to recover from F3, but was still lower than the control in F4. The proportion of abnormalities increased significantly in F2 and reduced from F3, but was still higher than the control, suggesting that TEB could have cumulative potential and be passed to offspring through parental exposure. Furthermore, exposure to TEB (10 μg/L) in P0 significantly reduced the body length in F1, which began to recover from F2, and was the same level as the control in F4. There was a concentration-dependent increase in body width in F1-F4, with a significant increase only observed in F1 at 10 μg/L. Thus, parental exposure to TEB induced transgenerational defects in both reproduction and development, emphasizing the significance of considering bio-toxicity over multiple generations to conduct accurate assessment of environmental risks of toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanqing Bu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingyi Ma
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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18
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Fajana HO, Gainer A, Jegede OO, Awuah KF, Princz JI, Owojori OJ, Siciliano SD. Oppia nitens C.L. Koch, 1836 (Acari: Oribatida): Current Status of Its Bionomics and Relevance as a Model Invertebrate in Soil Ecotoxicology. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:2593-2613. [PMID: 31433516 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The oribatid soil mite Oppia nitens C.L. Koch, 1836, is a model microarthropod in soil ecotoxicity testing. This species has a significant role in supporting soil functions and as a suitable indicator of soil contamination. Despite its significance to the environment and to ecotoxicology, however, very little is known of its biology, ecology, and suborganismal responses to contaminants in the soil. In the present review, we present detailed and critical insights into the biology and ecology of O. nitens in relation to traits that are crucial to its adaptive responses to contaminants in soil. We used a species sensitivity distribution model to rank the species sensitivity to heavy metals (cadmium and zinc) and neonicotinoids (imidacloprid and thiacloprid) compared with other standardized soil invertebrates. Although the International Organization for Standardization and Environment and Climate Change Canada are currently standardizing a protocol for the use of O. nitens in soil toxicity testing, we believe that O. nitens is limited as a model soil invertebrate until the molecular pathways associated with its response to contaminants are better understood. These pathways can only be elucidated with information from the mites' genome or transcriptome, which is currently lacking. Despite this limitation, we propose a possible molecular pathway to metal tolerance and a putative adverse outcome pathway to heavy metal toxicity in O. nitens. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2593-2613. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamzat O Fajana
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Amy Gainer
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Olukayode O Jegede
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Kobby F Awuah
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Juliska I Princz
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Steven D Siciliano
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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19
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Purać J, Nikolić TV, Kojić D, Ćelić AS, Plavša JJ, Blagojević DP, Petri ET. Identification of a metallothionein gene in honey bee Apis mellifera and its expression profile in response to Cd, Cu and Pb exposure. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:731-745. [PMID: 30575191 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Metallothioneins are ubiquitous proteins important in metal homeostasis and detoxification. However, they have not previously been identified in honey bees or other Hymenoptera, where metallothioneins could be of ecophysiological and ecotoxicological significance. Better understanding of the molecular responses to stress induced by toxic metals could contribute to honey bee conservation. In addition, honey bee metallothionein could represent a biomarker for monitoring environmental quality. Here we identify and characterize a metallothionein gene in Apis mellifera (AmMT). AmMT is 1,680 bp long and encodes a 48 amino acids protein with 15 cysteines and no aromatic residues. A metal response element upstream of the start codon, coupled with numerous cis-regulatory elements indicate the functional context of AmMT. Molecular modelling predicts several transition metal binding sites, and comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed five putative metallothionein proteins in three other hymenoptera species. AmMT was characterized by cloning the full-length coding sequence of the putative metallothionein. Recombinant AmMT was found to increase metal tolerance upon overexpression in Escherichia coli supplemented with Cd, Cu or Pb. Finally, in laboratory tests on honey bees, gene expression profiles showed a dose-dependant relationship between Cd, Cu and Pb concentrations present in food and AmMT expression, while field experiments showed induction of AmMT in bees from an industrial site compared to those from an urban area. These studies suggest that AmMT has metal binding properties in agreement with a possible role in metal homeostasis. Further functional and structural characterization of metallothionein in honey bees and other Hymenoptera are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Purać
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Tatjana V Nikolić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Danijela Kojić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Anđelka S Ćelić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Jovana J Plavša
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Duško P Blagojević
- Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Edward T Petri
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
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20
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Tang B, Tong P, Xue KS, Williams PL, Wang JS, Tang L. High-throughput assessment of toxic effects of metal mixtures of cadmium(Cd), lead(Pb), and manganese(Mn) in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 234:232-241. [PMID: 31220657 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.05.271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metals, a class of persistent environmental toxicants, are harmful to human health. Cd and Pb are two of the most common toxic heavy metals that have been linked with cancers and malfunction of the nervous system. Notably, contamination of Mn usually coexisted with Cd and Pb in environmental and occupational settings. Studies regularly examined the toxic effects on individual metals; however, potential health and toxic effects of mixtures containing two or more heavy metals are unknown. Here, we investigated toxic effects of Cd, Pb, Mn, and their binary and ternary mixtures in the nematode Caenorhabdities elegans. The toxic outcomes, including effects on growth, reproduction, and feeding, were measured via high-throughput platform analysis. The transgenic strain BY250 with GFP in dopaminergic neurons was used to explore the neurodegenerative effects induced by single metals or their mixtures. The combination index(CI) for mixtures effect was calculated using isobolograms methods. Following the exposure, we found significant toxic effects in C. elegans. For single metals, the toxicity order for growth, reproduction, and feeding were Pb > Cd > Mn. For mixtures, the mixture of Cd + Mn induced a less than addictive effect in C. elegans, whereas the mixtures of Cd + Pb, Pb + Mn, and Cd + Pb + Mn induced greater-than-additive effects. Both single metals and their mixtures induced abnormality in dopaminergic neurons. These results showed combinative toxic and neurodegenerative effects of heavy metal mixtures, and future studies will focus on characterization of concentration-response patterns and identification of potential molecular mechanisms in C. elegans model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Tang
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ping Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Kathy S Xue
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Phillip L Williams
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jia-Sheng Wang
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Lili Tang
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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21
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Chaudhuri P, Imam HT, Essig Y, Krasauskas J, Webb SM, Blindauer CA, Stürzenbaum SR. Molecular genetic and biochemical characterization of a putative family of zinc metalloproteins in Caenorhabditis elegans. Metallomics 2019; 10:1814-1823. [PMID: 30444224 PMCID: PMC6336089 DOI: 10.1039/c8mt00169c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The first characterization of W08E12.2, W08E12.3, W08E12.4 and W08E12.5, four putative metalloproteins in C. elegans. (A) phase contrast microscopy, (B) fluorescence microscopy of PW08E12.3;W08E12.4::GFP.
Four highly similar genes (W08E12.2, W08E12.3, W08E12.4 and W08E12.5) which are consecutively aligned on chromosome IV of the C. elegans genome are predicted to code for small (120–141aa) yet cysteine rich (18–19 cysteines) proteins. Cloning and sequencing of the genomic regions of the isoforms confirmed the presence and order of all genes. The generation of transgenic worms strains with an integrated single copy or extrachromosomal multi-copy PW08E12.3;W08E12.4::GFP uncovered that W08E12.3 and W08E12.4 are constitutively expressed in the pharynx and significantly induced in worms exposed to 100 μM Zn. Knockdown by RNAi did not have a marked consequence on reproductive performance nor was a Zn-dependent effect on nematode growth observed. However, RNAi of these genes led to an accumulation of Zn in the intestinal cells. W08E12.3 was recombinantly expressed in E. coli and the purified protein was shown to be able to bind up to 6.5 Zn molecules at neutral pH. Zn-binding was acid-labile and the apo protein was observed at pH < 4.3. This characterization suggests W08E12.2, W08E12.3, W08E12.4 and W08E12.5 belong to a family of putative Metalloproteins which, akin to metallothioneins, may play an important role in Zn-sensing, homeostasis and/or detoxification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poulami Chaudhuri
- King's College London, School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK.
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22
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Qu M, Qiu Y, Lv R, Yue Y, Liu R, Yang F, Wang D, Li Y. Exposure to MPA-capped CdTe quantum dots causes reproductive toxicity effects by affecting oogenesis in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 173:54-62. [PMID: 30769203 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Quantum dots (QDs), considered as a type of excellent semiconductor nanomaterial, are widely employed and have a number of important applications. However, QDs have the potential to produce adverse effects and toxicity with the underlying molecular mechanisms not well understood. Herein, Caenorhabditis elegans was used for in vivo toxicity assessment to detect the reproductive toxicity of CdTe QDs. We found that exposure to CdTe QDs particles (≥ 50 mg/L) resulted in a defect in reproductive capacity, dysfunctional proliferation and differentiation, as well as an imbalance in oogenesis by reducing the number of cells in pachytene and diakinesis. Further, we identified a SPO-11 and PCH-2 mediated toxic mechanism and a GLP-1/Notch mediated protective mechanism in response to CdTe QDs particles (≥ 50 mg/L). Taken together, these results demonstrate the potential adverse impact of CdTe QDs (≥ 50 mg/L) exposure on oogenesis and provide valuable data and guidelines for evaluation of QD biocompatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Qu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Yuexiu Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Rongrong Lv
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Ying Yue
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Ran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Yunhui Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China.
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23
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Johansen JL, David MF, Ekelund F, Vestergård M. Wood ash decreases cadmium toxicity to the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 172:290-295. [PMID: 30716663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.01.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Wood ash is a beneficial fertilizer and liming agent in nutrient depleted soils, but it also contains considerable amounts of cadmium (Cd), which can be toxic to organisms in the environment. Therefore, risk assessments regarding utilization of wood ash is required. Here, we studied how wood ash (applied in doses equivalent to 0, 3 and 6 t ha-1) and Cd (applied in doses of 0, 10, 150, 300, 600, 1200 and 2000 mg kg-1) affected growth of the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The treatments were combined in a full factorial design. Wood ash alone greatly stimulated both soil respiration and growth of C. elegans, whereas Cd alone had a toxic effect. However, unrealistically high Cd levels were needed to severely affect growth of C. elegans and soil respiration, especially soil respiration was very resilient to Cd amendment. Ash addition decreased Cd toxicity to C. elegans, with an EC50 value of 390 mg Cd kg-1 in the 3 t ash ha-1 treatment, and an increase of EC50 to 1894 mg Cd kg-1 in the 6 t ash ha-1 treatment. This is probably because ash increases the Cd sorption capacity of the soil, and thereby decreases the bio-availability of Cd. The results suggest that there is no acute toxic effect of Cd to nematodes associated with wood ash recycling; in fact, our results suggest that ash actually decrease Cd toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Liengaard Johansen
- Center for Bioenergy Recycling - ASHBACK, Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Minodora-Florentina David
- Center for Bioenergy Recycling - ASHBACK, Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Flemming Ekelund
- Center for Bioenergy Recycling - ASHBACK, Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Vestergård
- Center for Bioenergy Recycling - ASHBACK, Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Agroecology, AU-Flakkebjerg, Aarhus University, Forsøgsvej 1, DK4200 Slagelse, Denmark
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24
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Dai S, Zhang Y, Miao Y, Liu R, Pu Y, Yin L. Intergenerational reproductive toxicity of chlordecone in male Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:11279-11287. [PMID: 30796669 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-04519-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Chlordecone (CLD), also named Kepone, is a synthetic organochlorine pesticide. As one of the common persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in nature, CLD has a profound impact on the environment and human health. The study aims to investigate the reproductive toxicity effects of CLD on male Caenorhabditis elegans and on progeny. L1-stage male nematodes were exposed to the control group (M9 solution) and four dose groups (0.02, 0.2, 2, and 20 μg/L). After exposure for 48 h, the male nematodes were picked to mating experiment and progeny experiment that the number of progeny and the time of observation in male parent and in F1 generation were counted; the number of germ cells and the number of sperm in the meiotic division of male nematodes were counted by staining with dimercaptophenyl hydrazine (DAPI), and the nematode gland area was observed under the bright field of the microscope. In male nematodes, the results showed that a number of progeny were 351.20 ± 31.40, 321.60 ± 24.70, 307.30 ± 19.30, 240.10 ± 27.60, and 227.90 ± 22.70 (P < 0.05); the generation times were 55.80 ± 1.95 h, 56.40 ± 1.60 h, 56.70 ± 0.92 h, 60.80 ± 0.95 h, and 69.60 ± 1.97 h (P < 0.05); relative areas of gonad were (99.80 ± 6.27)%, (93.00 ± 1.70)%, (85.00 ± 1.70)%, (70.70 ± 9.81)%, and (60.00 ± 5.23)% (P < 0.05); DAPI staining results showed the number of germ cells in meiosis area were 191.00 ± 10.97, 181.10 ± 15.56, 177.00 ± 9.20, 147.50 ± 10.56, and 139.30 ± 23.79 (P < 0.05); the sperm numbers were 335.60 ± 21.31, 308.60 ± 19.60, 306.00 ± 11.23, 260.10 ± 27.41, and 255.00 ± 3.72 (P < 0.05). In the F1 generation, the progeny numbers were 328.10 ± 22.28, 167.50 ± 15.30, 150.00 ± 13.65, 131.30 ± 18.40, and 130.20 ± 16.17 (P < 0.05); the generation times were 55.50 ± 2.36, 71.10 ± 0.97, 70.90 ± 0.52, 74.10 ± 2.07, and 73.90 ± 1.35 h (P < 0.05). The groups are grouped in order as M9 solution, 0.02, 0.2, 2, and 20 μg/L. The results revealed that CLD caused decrease in progeny number, relative area of gonad, number of germ cells, and sperm number and prolonged the generation time in the male nematode. In offspring grown up without CLD, the effect of CLD on generation time and sperm number can still be observed on offspring. In conclusion, CLD induces male nematode reproductive toxicity and causes defects in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhao Dai
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yan Miao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Ran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yuepu Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lihong Yin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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25
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Cui F, Ma N, Han X, Chen N, Xi Y, Yuan W, Xu Y, Han J, Xu X, Tu Y. Effects of 60Co γ Irradiation on the Reproductive Function of Caenorhabditis elegans. Dose Response 2019; 17:1559325818820981. [PMID: 30733651 PMCID: PMC6343448 DOI: 10.1177/1559325818820981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of ionizing radiation on the reproductive system have always been a matter of great interest. Both artificial and naturally occurring ionizing radiation can directly or indirectly affect the reproductive system via the introduction of DNA single-strand and double-strand breaks, the excitation of water molecules, and the generation of free radicals. In order to quantitatively investigate the effects of ionizing radiation on reproductive function, 60Co γ irradiation was applied on a model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The egg-laying and embryo-hatching activities were observed for the parent (F0) and the first 2 progeny (F1 and F2) generations. The incidence rate of ovipositor malformation was also recorded. Acridine orange was used to detect the number of apoptotic germ cells. With the above metrics, the effects of 60Co γ irradiation on the reproductive function of C. elegans were systematically evaluated. The results showed that the postirradiation egg-laying and embryo-hatching activities of the F0 generation were increasingly suppressed by increasing doses of 60Co γ irradiation. Those of the F1 generation showed a trend toward recovery although also suppressed by the radiation to the F0 generation compared with the control. Those activities were restored to normal or near-normal levels for the F2 generation. The incidence rate of ovipositor malformation was greatly increased by 60Co γ irradiation according to radiation doses. Gamma irradiation by 60Co also substantially induced germ cell apoptosis, and the apoptosis rate increased with increasing radiation doses. Therefore, 60Co γ irradiation affects the reproductive function of C. elegans. The suppression on its reproductive function increases with increasing radiation doses. The reproductive functions of progeny generations are also affected and weakened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengmei Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Nan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaojing Han
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Department of Hematology and Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, China
| | - Na Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Yue Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Weiye Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Yufan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Jianfang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Yu Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
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26
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Pandey R, Sharma M, Saluja D. SIN-3 as a key determinant of lifespan and its sex dependent differential role on healthspan in C aenorhabditis elegans. Aging (Albany NY) 2018; 10:3910-3937. [PMID: 30541942 PMCID: PMC6326684 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Aging/senescence includes not just decline in lifespan but also etiologies of age associated morbidities which are inadequately understood. Extensive research has been undertaken to delineate the pathways and generate mutants with extended lifespan. However, little is known about the health status of these long lived mutants in the background of important genetic perturbations. Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the leading in vivo model organisms to study aging. Deletion of SIN-3, a transcription coregulator in C. elegans has been shown to reduce the lifespan of the mutant worms by half as compared to the wild-type and isogenic controls. The current study focuses on the effect of SIN-3 deletion on the healthspan of the worms. We find that not only are sin-3 mutants more susceptible to stress, but the overall stress intolerance and physiological decline is sex dependent. The severity of the phenotype is more pronounced in hermaphrodites as compared to the males carrying the same mutation with respect to the controls. The results further suggest that genetic perturbation along with the gender play an important role in determining the lifespan, healthspan and overall fitness of an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renu Pandey
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi -07, India
| | - Meenakshi Sharma
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi -07, India
| | - Daman Saluja
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi -07, India
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27
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Wang S, Chu Z, Zhang K, Miao G. Cadmium-induced serotonergic neuron and reproduction damages conferred lethality in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 213:11-18. [PMID: 30205271 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant. The use of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for monitoring cadmium exposure has revealed several conserved signaling pathways. However, little is known about the killing process during lethality assay. In the present study, we investigated the effects serotonergic neuronal and reproductive damages on cadmium exposure in C. elegans. We found that sterile hermaphrodites, males and worms that passed reproduction span presented high cadmium resistance compared to those of young adults. The results demonstrated that reproduction process other than reproduction capacity conferred cadmium sensitivity. Cadmium exposure resulted in high ratio bagging phenotype, which was a severe reproductive deficit with embryos hatched internally that could cause worms to die early. The mechanism of bagging formation was ascribed to cadmium-induced egg laying deficiency that led embryos to retain and hatch in uterus. The addition of serotonin and imipramine promoted egg laying and thereby increased cadmium resistance. The results demonstrated that vulval muscles responsible for egg laying were still functional, while the serotonergic hermaphrodite specific neurons might be dysfunctional under cadmium exposure. Cadmium exposure resulted in shrinkage of serotonergic neuronal body and reduced expressions of tryptophan hydroxylase, the key enzyme for serotonin synthesis. The protection of serotonergic neuron through transient thermal preconditioning improved survival rate. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that damages of serotonergic neurons and reproduction conferred to cadmium-induced lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunchang Wang
- School of Biological Engineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China.
| | - Zhaoxia Chu
- School of Biological Engineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China
| | - Kegui Zhang
- School of Biological Engineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China
| | - Guopeng Miao
- School of Biological Engineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China
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28
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Zhang Y, Mi DY, Wang J, Luo YP, Yang X, Dong S, Ma XM, Dong KZ. Constituent and effects of polysaccharides isolated from Sophora moorcroftiana seeds on lifespan, reproduction, stress resistance, and antimicrobial capacity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Chin J Nat Med 2018; 16:252-260. [PMID: 29703325 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(18)30055-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Sophora moorcroftiana (S. moorcroftiana) is an endemic leguminous dwarf shrub in Tibet, China. Decoctions of the seeds have been used in Chinese folk medicine for dephlogistication, detoxication, and infectious diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the constituent and biological effects of polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds (SMpol) were extracted with 60% ethanol and constituent was analyzed by GC-MS. SMpol was composed of glucose, galactose and inositol in the molar ratio of 35.7 : 1.3 : 17.0. Synchronized worms were treated with SMpol and then lifespan, motility, reproduction, stress resistance and antimicrobial activity were examined. Compared with the control group, the lifespan was increased to the average of 27.3 days and the number of laying eggs showed a 1.3-fold increase in nematodes treated with SMpol (4 mg·mL-1). In SMpol (4 mg·mL-1) treated worms, there was a 1.1-fold increase in 24-h survival of acute heat stress and a 1.6-fold increase in 2-h survival of oxidative stress The colonization of the bacteria in the SMpol treated nematode was significantly lower than that of the untreated group by 68.3%. In vivo studies showed SMpol significantly extended the life span, improved reproduction, increased stress resistance and antimicrobial capacity of C. elegans. In conclusion, those results indicated that the polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds were involved in a variety of biological activities leading to its modulatory effects on C. elegans which may be developed as a natural supplement agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Dan-Yang Mi
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yan-Ping Luo
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shi Dong
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xing-Ming Ma
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Lab of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Kai-Zhong Dong
- Department of Microbiology, Medical College, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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29
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Li K, Xu YQ, Feng L, Liu SS. Assessing the influence of the genetically modified factor on mixture toxicological interactions in Caenorhabditis elegans: Comparison between wild type and a SOD type. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 242:872-879. [PMID: 30041160 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.06.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
How to evaluate the ecological risk of transgenic technology is a focus of scientists because of the safety concerns raised by genetically modified (GM) organisms. Nevertheless, most studies are based on individual chemicals and always analyze the GM organism as a type of toxicant. In this study, we changed the approach and used GM organisms as the test objects with normal chemical exposure. Three types of chemicals (two substituted phenols, 4-chlorophenol and 4-nitrophenol; two ionic liquids, 1-butylpyridinium chloride and 1-butylpyridinium bromide; two pesticides, dichlorvos and glyphosate) were used to construct a six-component mixture system. The lethality to wild-type (N2) and sod-3::GFP (SOD-3) Caenorhabditis elegans was determined when they were exposed to the same mixture system after 12 and 24 h. The results showed that the pEC50 values of all of the single chemicals on SOD-3 were greater than those on N2 at 24 h. The toxicities of the single chemicals and nine mixture rays on the two strains increased with time. Notably, we discovered a significant difference between the two strains; time-dependent synergism occurred in mixtures on N2, but time-dependent antagonism occurred in mixtures on SOD-3. Finally, the strength of the synergism or antagonism turned to additive action on the two strains as the exposure time increased. These findings illustrated that the GM factor of the nematode influenced the mixture toxicological interaction at some exposure times. Compared with N2, SOD-3 were more sensitive to stress or toxic reactions. Therefore, the influence of the GM factor on mixture toxicological interactions in environmental risk assessment must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Li
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Ya-Qian Xu
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Li Feng
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Shu-Shen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
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30
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Fueser H, Majdi N, Haegerbaeumer A, Pilger C, Hachmeister H, Greife P, Huser T, Traunspurger W. Analyzing life-history traits and lipid storage using CARS microscopy for assessing effects of copper on the fitness of Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 156:255-262. [PMID: 29554610 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Lipid storage provides energy for cell survival, growth, and reproduction and is closely related to the organismal response to stress imposed by toxic chemicals. However, the effects of toxicants on energy storage as it impacts certain life-history traits have rarely been investigated. Here, we used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a test species for a chronic exposure to copper (Cu) at EC20 (0.50 mg Cu/l). Effects on the fatty acid distribution in C. elegans body were determined using coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) to link population fitness responses with individual ecophysiological responses. Cu inhibited nematode reproductive capacity and offspring growth in addition to shortening the lifespan of exposed individuals. In adult nematodes, Cu exposure led to significant reduction of lipid storage compared to the Cu-free control: Under Cu, lipids filled only 0.5% of the nematode body volume vs. 7.5% in control nematodes, lipid droplets were on average 74% smaller and the number of tiny lipids (0-10 µm2) was increased. These results suggest that (1) Cu has an important effect on the life-history traits of nematodes; (2) the quantification of lipid storage can provide important information on the response of organisms to toxic stress; and (3) CARS microscopy is a promising tool for non-invasive quantitative and qualitative analyses of lipids as a measure of nematode fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Fueser
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Nabil Majdi
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Arne Haegerbaeumer
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Christian Pilger
- Bielefeld University, Biomolecular Photonics, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Henning Hachmeister
- Bielefeld University, Biomolecular Photonics, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Paul Greife
- Bielefeld University, Biomolecular Photonics, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Huser
- Bielefeld University, Biomolecular Photonics, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Walter Traunspurger
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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31
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Zhang J, Xue X, Yang Y, Ma W, Han Y, Qin X. Multiple biological defects caused by calycosin-7-O
-β-d
-glucoside in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
are associated with the activation of oxidative damage. J Appl Toxicol 2018; 38:801-809. [DOI: 10.1002/jat.3588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jianqin Zhang
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine; Shanxi University; Taiyuan 030006 Shanxi China
| | - Xiaoli Xue
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine; Shanxi University; Taiyuan 030006 Shanxi China
| | - Yang Yang
- Research Institute of Applied Biology; Shanxi University; Taiyuan 030006 Shanxi China
| | - Wen Ma
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine; Shanxi University; Taiyuan 030006 Shanxi China
| | - Yan Han
- School of Life Science; Shanxi University; Taiyuan 030006 Shanxi China
| | - Xuemei Qin
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine; Shanxi University; Taiyuan 030006 Shanxi China
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32
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Haegerbaeumer A, Höss S, Heininger P, Traunspurger W. Is Caenorhabditis elegans representative of freshwater nematode species in toxicity testing? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:2879-2888. [PMID: 29143265 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0714-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Multi-species toxicity tests were conducted using a broad range of freshwater nematode species to assess interspecific differences in sensitivity to chemical stress and to compare the toxicity to that on the standard test organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The lethal effects of nine different chemical treatments, including metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in single and mixture application, were determined for nematodes exposed for 48 h to spiked aqueous solutions. The investigated freshwater nematodes exhibited distinct differences in their sensitivity. Ranking of the susceptibility of 27 species to chemical stress showed that the effects were largely independent of the tested chemical compounds. Overall, the responses of C. elegans were well within the range of those of freshwater nematode species, being slightly less tolerant to metals, but more tolerant to PAHs than the average freshwater species response. Therefore, this study justified the use of C. elegans as representative model for freshwater nematode species in toxicity testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Haegerbaeumer
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Höss
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Ecossa, Giselastr. 6, 82319, Starnberg, Germany
| | - Peter Heininger
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Walter Traunspurger
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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Ossa-López PA, Castaño-Villa GJ, Rivera-Páez FA. Genotoxic effects and gene expression in Danio rerio (Hamilton 1822) (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) exposed to mining-impacted tributaries in Manizales, Colombia. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2017; 189:520. [PMID: 28948416 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6231-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is one of the most studied aquatic organisms for water biomonitoring, due to its sensitivity to environmental degradation and resistance to toxic substances. This study determined the presence of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities in peripheral blood erythrocytes, and assessed the gene expression of caspase-3 (CASP-3) and metallothionein 1 (MT-1) in the gills and liver of D. rerio. The study fish (n = 45) were exposed to water collected from two stations with mining impact (E2 and E3) and a reference station without evident mining contamination (E1), all located in La Elvira stream (Manizales-Colombia). In addition, a positive control (PC) with HgCl2 (50 μg/L) and negative control (NC) with tap water were included. The fish from the PC and E2 and E3 treatments displayed genotoxic effects and changes in gene expression, with significant differences in micronuclei formation and the presence of blebbed nuclei. The cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was used as reference and proved to be stable compared to the β-actin and 28S ribosomal RNA (28S) genes. In gills, CASP-3 expression was higher in the PC, and MT-1 expression was higher in the PC and E3 treatment. In liver, CASP-3 was expressed in the E2 treatment, and MT-1 expression was low. These results show that the genotoxic effects and differential gene expression observed in fish exposed to water from La Elvira stream could also be affecting the organisms present in this habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula A Ossa-López
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10 Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Gabriel J Castaño-Villa
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Desarrollo Rural y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10 Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Fredy A Rivera-Páez
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10 Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
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Lecomte-Pradines C, Hertel-Aas T, Coutris C, Gilbin R, Oughton D, Alonzo F. A dynamic energy-based model to analyze sublethal effects of chronic gamma irradiation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2017; 80:830-844. [PMID: 28837407 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2017.1352194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how toxic contaminants affect wildlife species at various levels of biological organization (subcellular, histological, physiological, organism, and population levels) is a major research goal in both ecotoxicology and radioecology. A mechanistic understanding of the links between different observed perturbations is necessary to predict the consequences for survival, growth, and reproduction, which are critical for population dynamics. In this context, experimental and modeling studies were conducted using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A chronic exposure to external gamma radiation was conducted under controlled conditions. Results showed that somatic growth and reproduction were reduced with increasing dose rate. Modeling was used to investigate whether radiation effects might be assessed using a mechanistic model based upon the dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory. A DEB theory in toxicology (DEB-tox), specially adapted to the case of gamma radiation, was developed. Modelling results demonstrated the suitability of DEB-tox for the analysis of radiotoxicity and suggested that external gamma radiation predominantly induced a direct reduction in reproductive capacity in C. elegans and produced an increase in costs for growth and maturation, resulting in a delay in growth and spawning observed at the highest tested dose rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Lecomte-Pradines
- a Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-ENV, SERIS, LECO , Cadarache , Saint-Paul-lez-Durance , France
| | - Turid Hertel-Aas
- b Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Department of Environmental Science , Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) , Aas , Norway
| | - Claire Coutris
- b Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Department of Environmental Science , Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) , Aas , Norway
- c Division of Environment and Natural Resources , Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) , Aas , Norway
| | - Rodolphe Gilbin
- d Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-ENV, SERIS, LRTE , Cadarache , Saint-Paul-lez-Durance , France
| | - Deborah Oughton
- b Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Department of Environmental Science , Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) , Aas , Norway
| | - Frédéric Alonzo
- a Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-ENV, SERIS, LECO , Cadarache , Saint-Paul-lez-Durance , France
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PMK-1 p38 MAPK promotes cadmium stress resistance, the expression of SKN-1/Nrf and DAF-16 target genes, and protein biosynthesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Genet Genomics 2017; 292:1341-1361. [PMID: 28766017 PMCID: PMC5682872 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-017-1351-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms of cadmium (Cd) resistance are complex and not sufficiently understood. The present study, therefore, aimed at assessing the roles of important components of stress-signaling pathways and of ABC transporters under severe Cd stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. Survival assays on mutant and control animals revealed a significant promotion of Cd resistance by the PMK-1 p38 MAP kinase, the transcription factor DAF-16/FoxO, and the ABC transporter MRP-1. Transcriptome profiling by RNA-Seq on wild type and a pmk-1 mutant under control and Cd stress conditions revealed, inter alia, a PMK-1-dependent promotion of gene expression for the translational machinery. PMK-1 also promoted the expression of target genes of the transcription factors SKN-1/Nrf and DAF-16 in Cd-stressed animals, which included genes for molecular chaperones or immune proteins. Gene expression studies by qRT-PCR confirmed the positive effects of PMK-1 on DAF-16 activity under Cd stress and revealed negative effects of DAF-16 on the expression of genes for MRP-1 and DAF-15/raptor. Additional studies on pmk-1 RNAi-treated wild type and mutant strains provided further information on the effects of PMK-1 on SKN-1 and DAF-16, which resulted in a model of these relationships. The results of this study demonstrate a central role of PMK-1 for the processing of cellular responses to abiotic and biotic stressors, with the promoting effects of PMK-1 on Cd resistance mostly mediated by the transcription factors SKN-1 and DAF-16.
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Gonzalez-Moragas L, Yu SM, Benseny-Cases N, Stürzenbaum S, Roig A, Laromaine A. Toxicogenomics of iron oxide nanoparticles in the nematode C. elegans. Nanotoxicology 2017; 11:647-657. [PMID: 28673184 DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2017.1342011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We present a mechanistic study of the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in Caenorhabditis elegans combining a genome-wide analysis with the investigation of specific molecular markers frequently linked to nanotoxicity. The effects of two different coatings were explored: citrate, an anionic stabilizer, and bovine serum albumin, as a pre-formed protein corona. The transcriptomic study identified differentially expressed genes following an exposure to SPIONs. The expression of genes involved in oxidative stress, metal detoxification response, endocytosis, intestinal integrity and iron homeostasis was quantitatively evaluated. The role of oxidative stress was confirmed by gene expression analysis and by synchrotron Fourier Transform infrared microscopy based on the higher tissue oxidation of NP-treated animals. The observed transcriptional modulation of key signaling pathways such as MAPK and Wnt suggests that SPIONs might be endocytosed by clathrin-mediated processes, a putative mechanism of nanotoxicity which deserves further mechanistic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gonzalez-Moragas
- a Group of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites, Crystallography Department , Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC , Barcelona , Campus UAB , Spain
| | - Si-Ming Yu
- a Group of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites, Crystallography Department , Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC , Barcelona , Campus UAB , Spain.,b Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biomedical Engineering , Jinan University , Guangzhou , China
| | | | - Stephen Stürzenbaum
- d Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Analytical and Environmental Sciences Division , King's College London , London , UK
| | - Anna Roig
- a Group of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites, Crystallography Department , Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC , Barcelona , Campus UAB , Spain
| | - Anna Laromaine
- a Group of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites, Crystallography Department , Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC , Barcelona , Campus UAB , Spain
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Kong L, Gao X, Zhu J, Zhang T, Xue Y, Tang M. Reproductive toxicity induced by nickel nanoparticles in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2017; 32:1530-1538. [PMID: 27748997 DOI: 10.1002/tox.22373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the reproductive toxicity and underlying mechanism of nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs), Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were treated with/without 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 μg cm-2 of Ni NPs or nickel microparticles (Ni MPs). Generation time, fertilized egg numbers, spermatide activation and motility were detected. Results indicated, under the same treatment doses, that Ni NPs induced higher reproductive toxicity to C. elegans than Ni MPs. Reproductive toxicities observed in C. elegans included a decrease in brood size, fertilized egg and spermatide activation, but an increase in generation time and out-of-round spermatids. The reproductive toxicity of Ni NPs on C. elegans may be induced by oxidative stress. The reproductive toxicity in C. elegans induced by Ni NPs is consistent with our previous results in the rats. Therefore, C. elegans can be used as an alternative model to detect the early reproductive toxicity of Ni NPs exposure. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1530-1538, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Kong
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Xiaojie Gao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Jiaqian Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Yuying Xue
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Meng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
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Ruan Q, Xu Y, Xu R, Wang J, Hua Y, Wang M, Duan J. The Adverse Effects of Triptolide on the Reproductive System of Caenorhabditis elegans: Oogenesis Impairment and Decreased Oocyte Quality. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E464. [PMID: 28230788 PMCID: PMC5343997 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have revealed that Triptolide damages female reproductive capacity, but the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we used Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the effects of Triptolide on the germline and explore its possible mechanisms. Our data show that exposure for 4 h to 50 and 100 mg/L Triptolide reduced C. elegans fertility, led to depletion and inactivation of spermatids with the changes in the expression levels of related genes, and increased the number of unfertilized oocytes through damaging chromosomes and DNA damage repair mechanisms. After 24 and 48 h of the 4 h exposure to 50 and 100 mg/L Triptolide, we observed shrink in distal tip cells, an increase in the number of apoptotic cells, a decrease in the number of mitotic germ cells and oocytes in diakinesis stage, and chromatin aggregates in -1 oocytes. Moreover, expression patterns of the genes associated with mitotic germ cell proliferation, apoptosis, and oocyte quality were altered after Triptolide exposure. Therefore, Triptolide may damage fertility of nematodes by hampering the development of oocytes at different developmental stages. Alterations in the expression patterns of genes involved in oocyte development may explain the corresponding changes in oocyte development in nematodes exposed to Triptolide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinli Ruan
- Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Yun Xu
- Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Rui Xu
- Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Jiaying Wang
- Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Yongqing Hua
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Meng Wang
- Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Jinao Duan
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Kim JH, Lee SH, Cha YJ, Hong SJ, Chung SK, Park TH, Choi SS. C. elegans-on-a-chip for in situ and in vivo Ag nanoparticles' uptake and toxicity assay. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40225. [PMID: 28067319 PMCID: PMC5220357 DOI: 10.1038/srep40225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanomaterials are extensively used in consumer products and medical applications, but little is known about their environmental and biological toxicities. Moreover, the toxicity analysis requires sophisticated instruments and labor-intensive experiments. Here we report a microfluidic chip incorporated with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that rapidly displays the changes in body growth and gene expression specifically responsive to the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). C. elegans were cultured in microfluidic chambers in the presence or absence of AgNPs and were consequently transferred to wedge-shaped channels, which immobilized the animals, allowing the evaluation of parameters such as length, moving distance, and fluorescence from the reporter gene. The AgNPs reduced the length of C. elegans body, which was easily identified in the channel of chip. In addition, the decrease of body width enabled the worm to advance the longer distance compared to the animal without nanoparticles in a wedge-shaped channel. The transgenic marker DNA, mtl-2::gfp was highly expressed upon the uptake of AgNPs, resulting in green fluorescence emission. The comparative investigation using gold nanoparticles and heavy-metal ions indicated that these parameters are specific to AgNPs. These results demonstrate that C. elegans-on-a-chip has a great potential as a rapid and specific nanoparticle detection or nanotoxicity assessment system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ho Kim
- Department of Energy Science and Technology, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hwan Lee
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Jeong Cha
- Department of Energy Science and Technology, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Jin Hong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Myongji University, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Kug Chung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Myongji University, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Tai Hyun Park
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.,Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16229, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin Sik Choi
- Department of Energy Science and Technology, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do 17058, Republic of Korea.,Department of Food and Nutrition, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do 17058, Republic of Korea
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Soares FA, Fagundez DA, Avila DS. Neurodegeneration Induced by Metals in Caenorhabditis elegans. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 18:355-383. [PMID: 28889277 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-60189-2_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Metals are a component of a variety of ecosystems and organisms. They can generally be divided into essential and nonessential metals. The essential metals are involved in physiological processes once the deficiency of these metals has been associated with diseases. Although iron, manganese, copper, and zinc are important for life, it has been evidenced that they are also involved in neuronal damage in many neurodegenerative disorders. Nonessential metals, which are metals without physiological functions, are present in trace or higher levels in living organisms. Occupational, environmental, or deliberate exposures to lead, mercury, aluminum, and cadmium are clearly correlated with the increase of toxicity and varied kinds of pathological situations. Actually, the field of neurotoxicology needs to satisfy two opposing demands: the testing of a growing list of chemicals and resource limitations and ethical concerns associated with testing using traditional mammalian species. Toxicological assays using alternative animal models may relieve some of this pressure by allowing testing of more compounds while reducing expenses and using fewer mammals. The nervous system is by far the more complex system in C. elegans. Almost a third of their cells are neurons (302 neurons versus 959 cells in adult hermaphrodite). It initially underwent extensive development as a model organism in order to study the nervous system, and its neuronal lineage and the complete wiring diagram of its nervous system are stereotyped and fully described. The neurotransmission systems are phylogenetically conserved from nematodes to vertebrates, which allows for findings from C. elegans to be extrapolated and further confirmed in vertebrate systems. Different strains of C. elegans offer a new perspective on neurodegenerative processes. Some genes have been found to be related to neurodegeneration induced by metals. Studying these interactions may be an effective tool to slow neuronal loss and deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Antunes Soares
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, 97105-900, Brazil.
| | | | - Daiana Silva Avila
- Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, 97508-000, Brazil.
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de Pomerai DI, Iqbal N, Lafayette I, Nagarajan A, Kaviani Moghadam M, Fineberg A, Reader T, Greedy S, Smartt C, Thomas DWP. Microwave fields have little effect on α-synuclein aggregation in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Parkinson's disease. Bioelectromagnetics 2016; 37:116-29. [PMID: 26879225 DOI: 10.1002/bem.21959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Potential health effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation from mobile phones arouse widespread public concern. RF fields from handheld devices near the brain might trigger or aggravate brain tumors or neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Aggregation of neural α-synuclein (S) is central to PD pathophysiology, and invertebrate models expressing human S have helped elucidate factors affecting the aggregation process. We have recently developed a transgenic strain of Caenorhabditis elegans carrying two S constructs: SC tagged with cyan (C) blue fluorescent protein (CFP), and SV with the Venus (V) variant of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). During S aggregation in these SC+SV worms, CFP, and YFP tags are brought close enough to allow Foerster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). As a positive control, S aggregation was promoted at low Hg(2+) concentrations, whereas higher concentrations activated stress-response genes. Using two different exposure systems described previously, we tested whether RF fields (1.0 GHz CW, 0.002-0.02 W kg(-1); 1.8 GHz CW or GSM, 1.8 W kg(-1)) could influence S aggregation in SC+SV worms. YFP fluorescence in similar SV-only worms provided internal controls, which should show opposite changes due to FRET quenching during S aggregation. No statistically significant changes were observed over several independent runs at 2.5, 24, or 96 h. Although our worm model is sensitive to chemical promoters of aggregation, no similar effects were attributable to RF exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nooria Iqbal
- School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Lafayette
- School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Archana Nagarajan
- School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - April Fineberg
- School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Reader
- School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Greedy
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Smartt
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - David W P Thomas
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Yu CW, Liao VHC. Transgenerational Reproductive Effects of Arsenite Are Associated with H3K4 Dimethylation and SPR-5 Downregulation in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:10673-10681. [PMID: 27579588 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b02173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic is a prevalent environmental toxin. Arsenic is associated with a wide variety of adverse effects; however, studies on whether As-induced toxicities can be transferred from parents to offspring have received little attention. Caenorhabditis elegans has become an important animal model in biomedical and environmental toxicology research. In this study, transgenerational reproductive toxicity by arsenite exposure and the underlying mechanisms in C. elegans were investigated over six generations (F0-F5). Following arsenite maternal exposure of the F0 generation, subsequent generations (F1-F5) were cultured under arsenite-free conditions. We found that the brood size of C. elegans was significantly reduced by arsenite exposure in F0 and that this reduction in brood size was also observed in the offspring generations (F1-F5), after the toxicant had been removed from the diet. In addition, adult worms from F0 and F1 generations accumulated arsenite and arsenate when F0 L4 larvae were exposed to arsenite for 24 h. We found that the mRNA level of H3K4me2 demethylase LSD/KDM1, spr-5, was significantly reduced in the F0 exposed generation and subsequent unexposed generations (F1-F3). Likewise, the mRNA levels of spr-5 were also significantly decreased in the F1-F3 generations. Moreover, dimethylation of global H3K4 was increased in the F0-F3 generations. Our study demonstrates that maternal arsenite exposure causes transgenerational reproductive effects in C. elegans, which might be associated with H3K4 dimethylation and SPR-5 downregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Wei Yu
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University , No. 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Vivian Hsiu-Chuan Liao
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University , No. 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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Yang R, Rui Q, Kong L, Zhang N, Li Y, Wang X, Tao J, Tian P, Ma Y, Wei J, Li G, Wang D. Metallothioneins act downstream of insulin signaling to regulate toxicity of outdoor fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) during Spring Festival in Beijing in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2016; 5:1097-1105. [PMID: 30090415 PMCID: PMC6060693 DOI: 10.1039/c6tx00022c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we performed the toxicological assessment of outdoor PM2.5 collected from Beijing during Spring Festival using the in vivo assay system of Caenorhabditis elegans. Acute exposure to outdoor PM2.5 at a concentration of 10 mg L-1 and prolonged exposure to outdoor PM2.5 at concentrations of 0.1-10 mg L-1 decreased locomotion behavior and caused significant induction of intestinal ROS production. Meanwhile, outdoor PM2.5 exposure induced significant expression of gene (mtl-1 and mtl-2) encoded metallothioneins in the intestine. Mutation of the mtl-1 or mtl-2 gene resulted in a susceptible property of nematodes to outdoor PM2.5 toxicity. Genetic assays suggested that mtl-1 and mtl-2 genes acted downstream of the daf-16 gene encoding a FOXO transcriptional factor and daf-2 gene encoding an insulin receptor in the insulin signaling pathway to regulate outdoor PM2.5 toxicity. DAF-2 further acted upstream of DAF-16 and suppressed the function of DAF-16 to regulate outdoor PM2.5 toxicity. Therefore, we identified a signaling cascade of DAF-2-DAF-16-MTL-1/2 in the control of outdoor PM2.5 toxicity in nematodes. Our study provides an important molecular basis for the potential toxicity of outdoor PM2.5 during Spring Festival in Beijing in nematodes. Especially, our study will highlight the potential adverse effects of outdoor PM2.5 during Spring Festival on environmental organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruilong Yang
- College of Life Sciences , Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing 210095 , China .
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education , Medical School , Southeast University , Nanjing 210009 , China .
| | - Qi Rui
- College of Life Sciences , Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing 210095 , China .
| | - Ling Kong
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Nan Zhang
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Yu Li
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Jing Tao
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Peiyao Tian
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Yan Ma
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Jianrong Wei
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
| | - Guojun Li
- Beijing Research Center for Prevention Medicine , Beijing 100013 , China .
- School of Public Health , Capital Medical University , Beijing 100069 , China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education , Medical School , Southeast University , Nanjing 210009 , China .
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Li X, Han J, Zhu R, Cui R, Ma X, Dong K. Life Span and Motility Effects of Ethanolic Extracts from Sophora moorcroftiana Seeds on Caenorhabditis elegans. Pharmacogn Mag 2016; 12:S228-30. [PMID: 27279712 PMCID: PMC4883084 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.182152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Revised: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sophora moorcroftiana is an endemic shrub species with a great value in folk medicine in Tibet, China. In this study, relatively little is known about whether S. moorcroftiana is beneficial in animals' nervous system and life span or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS To address this question, under survival normal temperature (25°C), S. moorcroftiana seeds were extracted with 95% ethanol, and Caenorhabditis elegans were exposed to three different extract concentrations (100 mg/L, 200 mg/L, and 400 mg/mL) from S. moorcroftiana seeds. RESULTS The 95% ethanolic extracts from S. moorcroftiana seeds could increase life span and slow aging-related increase in C. elegans and could not obviously influence the motility of C. elegans. CONCLUSION Given these results by our experiment for life span and motility with 95% ethanolic extracts from S. moorcroftiana seeds in C. elegans, the question whether S. moorcroftiana acts as an anti-aging substance in vivo arises. SUMMARY The 95% ethanolic extracts from S. moorcroftiana seeds have no effect on the life span in C. elegans when extract concentrations from S. moorcroftiana seeds <400 mg/LThe 400 mg/L 95% ethanolic extracts from S. moorcroftiana seeds could increase life span in C. elegansThe 95% ethanolic extracts from S. moorcroftiana seeds could not obviously influence the motility in C. elegans. Abbreviation used: S. moorcroftiana: Sophora moorcroftiana; C. elegan: Caenorhabditis elegan; E. coli OP50: Escherichia coli OP50; DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Junxian Han
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rongyan Zhu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rongrong Cui
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xingming Ma
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Kaizhong Dong
- Department of Microbiology, Medical College, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Dietrich N, Tan CH, Cubillas C, Earley BJ, Kornfeld K. Insights into zinc and cadmium biology in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 611:120-133. [PMID: 27261336 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Zinc is an essential metal that is involved in a wide range of biological processes, and aberrant zinc homeostasis is implicated in multiple human diseases. Cadmium is chemically similar to zinc, but it is a nonessential environmental pollutant. Because zinc deficiency and excess are deleterious, animals require homeostatic mechanisms to maintain zinc levels in response to dietary fluctuations. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is emerging as a powerful model system to investigate zinc trafficking and homeostasis as well as cadmium toxicity. Here we review genetic and molecular studies that have combined to generate a picture of zinc homeostasis based on the transcriptional control of zinc transporters in intestinal cells. Furthermore, we summarize studies of cadmium toxicity that reveal intriguing parallels with zinc biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dietrich
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
| | - Chieh-Hsiang Tan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Ciro Cubillas
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Brian James Earley
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Kerry Kornfeld
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
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Essig YJ, Webb SM, Stürzenbaum SR. Deletion of Phytochelatin Synthase Modulates the Metal Accumulation Pattern of Cadmium Exposed C. elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:257. [PMID: 26907254 PMCID: PMC4783986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17020257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental metal pollution is a growing health risk to flora and fauna. It is therefore important to fully elucidate metal detoxification pathways. Phytochelatin synthase (PCS), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of phytochelatins (PCs), plays an important role in cadmium detoxification. The PCS and PCs are however not restricted to plants, but are also present in some lower metazoans. The model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, for example, contains a fully functional phytochelatin synthase and phytochelatin pathway. By means of a transgenic nematode strain expressing a pcs-1 promoter-tagged GFP (pcs-1::GFP) and a pcs-1 specific qPCR assay, further evidence is presented that the expression of the C. elegans phytochelatin synthase gene (pcs-1) is transcriptionally non-responsive to a chronic (48 h) insult of high levels of zinc (500 μM) or acute (3 h) exposures to high levels of cadmium (300 μM). However, the accumulation of cadmium, but not zinc, is dependent on the pcs-1 status of the nematode. Synchrotron based X-ray fluorescence imaging uncovered that the cadmium body burden increased significantly in the pcs-1(tm1748) knockout allele. Taken together, this suggests that whilst the transcription of pcs-1 may not be mediated by an exposure zinc or cadmium, it is nevertheless an integral part of the cadmium detoxification pathway in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yona J Essig
- Analytical and Environmental Sciences Division, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
- Medical Research Council-Public Health England (MRC-PHE) Centre for Environment & Health, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
| | - Samuel M Webb
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
| | - Stephen R Stürzenbaum
- Analytical and Environmental Sciences Division, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
- Medical Research Council-Public Health England (MRC-PHE) Centre for Environment & Health, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
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47
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Jiang Y, Chen J, Wu Y, Wang Q, Li H. Sublethal Toxicity Endpoints of Heavy Metals to the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148014. [PMID: 26824831 PMCID: PMC4732754 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living nematode, is commonly used as a model organism in ecotoxicological studies. The current literatures have provided useful insight into the relative sensitivity of several endpoints, but few direct comparisons of multiple endpoints under a common set of experimental conditions. The objective of this study was to determine appropriate sublethal endpoints to develop an ecotoxicity screening and monitoring system. C. elegans was applied to explore the sublethal toxicity of four heavy metals (copper, zinc, cadmium and chromium). Two physiological endpoints (growth and reproduction), three behavioral endpoints (head thrash frequency, body bend frequency and feeding) and two enzymatic endpoints (acetylcholine esterase [AChE] and superoxide dismutase [SOD]) were selected for the assessment of heavy metal toxicity. The squared correlation coefficients (R2) between the responses observed and fitted by Logit function were higher than 0.90 and the RMSE were lower than 0.10, indicating a good significance statistically. There was no significant difference among the half effect concentration (EC50) endpoints in physiological and behavioral effects of the four heavy metals, indicating similar sensitivity of physiological and behavioral effects. AChE enzyme was more sensitive to copper, zinc, and cadmium than to other physiological and behavioral effects, and SOD enzyme was most sensitive to chromium. The EC50 of copper, zinc, and cadmium, to the AChE enzyme in the nematodes were 0.68 mg/L, 2.76 mg/L, and 0.92 mg/L respectively and the EC50 of chromium to the SOD enzyme in the nematode was 1.58 mg/L. The results of this study showed that there was a good concentration-response relationship between all four heavy metals and the sublethal toxicity effects to C. elegans. Considering these sublethal endpoints in terms of simplicity, accuracy, repeatability and costs of the experiments, feeding is the relatively ideal sublethal toxicity endpoint of heavy metals to C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jiang
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450000, P.R. China.,College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China
| | - Jiandong Chen
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanning, 530003, P.R. China
| | - Yue Wu
- Soil and Fertilizer Bureau of Shandong Province, Jinan, 250100, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450000, P.R. China
| | - Huixin Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China
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48
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Zhou D, Yang J, Li H, Lu Q, Liu YD, Lin KF. Ecotoxicity of bisphenol A to Caenorhabditis elegans by multigenerational exposure and variations of stress response in vivo across generations. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 208:767-773. [PMID: 26561446 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.10.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In order to understand how bisphenol A (BPA) exposure acts on the evolutionary dynamics of populations and changes of stress response across generations, the model animal Caenorhabditis elegans was used to conduct the multigenerational testing. Multiple endpoints at the physiological (growth, reproduction, and locomotion behaviors) and molecular (stress-related gene expressions) levels were examined by multigenerational exposure to low-concentration BPA (0.001-10 μM) across four generations. The results showed that changes of physiological-level effects across four generations varied in magnitude and direction, depending on the exposure concentrations. C. elegans individuals in the first generation grew smaller, moved slower, and produced less offsprings than the controls by BPA exposure. As for each trait tested, the first generation response could be commonly mirrored in the subsequent generations at the highest concentration of 10 μM. However, at lower concentrations, response of parental generation was a relatively poor predictor of the effects on progeny, as acclimation or cumulative damage could occur in the subsequent generations. The integrated gene expression profiles visually illustrated that the tested gene expressions at low concentrations (0.001-0.01 μM) were more obviously changed in both G1 and G4 generations, and the G1 generation showed a much greater degree of increase in stress-related gene expressions than the G4 generation. The multigenerational toxicity data emphasize the need of considering biological effects over multiple generations to conduct accurate assessment of environmental risks of toxicants on population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Zhou
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Jie Yang
- Research Institute of Wastes and Soil Remediation, Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai, 200233, PR China
| | - Hui Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China.
| | - Qiang Lu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Yong-di Liu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Kuang-fei Lin
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China.
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49
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Ristau K, Akgül Y, Bartel AS, Fremming J, Müller MT, Reiher L, Stapela F, Splett JP, Spann N. Toxicity in relation to mode of action for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: Acute-to-chronic ratios and quantitative structure-activity relationships. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2015; 34:2347-2353. [PMID: 25994998 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Acute-to-chronic ratios (ACRs) and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) are of particular interest in chemical risk assessment. Previous studies focusing on the relationship between the size or variation of ACRs to substance classes and QSAR models were often based on data for standard test organisms, such as daphnids and fish. In the present study, acute and chronic toxicity tests were performed with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for a total of 11 chemicals covering 3 substance classes (nonpolar narcotics: 1-propanol, ethanol, methanol, 2-butoxyethanol; metals: copper, cadmium, zinc; and carbamates: methomyl, oxamyl, aldicarb, dioxacarb). The ACRs were variable, especially for the carbamates and metals, although there was a trend toward small and less variable ACRs for nonpolar narcotic substances. The octanol-water partition coefficient was a good predictor for explaining acute and chronic toxicity of nonpolar narcotic substances to C. elegans, but not for carbamates. Metal toxicity could be related to the covalent index χm2r. Overall, the results support earlier results from ACR and QSAR studies with standard freshwater test animals. As such C. elegans as a representative of small soil/sediment invertebrates would probably be protected by risk assessment strategies already in use. To increase the predictive power of ACRs and QSARs, further research should be expanded to other species and compounds and should also consider the target sites and toxicokinetics of chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ristau
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Yeliz Akgül
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Jana Fremming
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Luise Reiher
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Frederike Stapela
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jan-Paul Splett
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Nicole Spann
- Department of Animal Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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50
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Lévêque T, Capowiez Y, Schreck E, Mombo S, Mazzia C, Foucault Y, Dumat C. Effects of historic metal(loid) pollution on earthworm communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 511:738-746. [PMID: 25616191 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.11.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The effects of metal(loid)s (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, As and Sb) from atmospheric fallout on earthworm communities were investigated in a fallow meadow located close to a 60-year-old lead recycling factory. We examined abundance and species diversity as well as the ratio of adult-to-juvenile earthworms, along five 140 m parallel transects. The influence of soil pollution on the earthworm community at the plot scale was put in context by measuring some physico-chemical soil characteristics (OM content, N content, pH), as well as total and bioavailable metal(loid) concentrations. Earthworms were absent in the highly polluted area (concentration from 30,000 to 5000 mg Pb·kg(-1) of dried soil), just near the factory (0-30 m area). A clear and almost linear relationship was observed between the proportion of juvenile versus mature earthworms and the pollution gradient, with a greater proportion of adults in the most polluted zones (only adult earthworms were observed from 30 to 50 m). Apporectodea longa was the main species present just near the smelter (80% of the earthworms were A. longa from 30 to 50 m). The earthworm density was found to increase progressively from five individuals·m(-2) at 30 m to 135 individuals·m(-2) at 140 m from the factory. On average, metal(loid) accumulation in earthworm tissues decreased linearly with distance from the factory. The concentration of exchangeable metal(loid)s in earthworm surface casts was higher than that of the overall soil. Finally, our field study clearly demonstrated that metal(loid) pollution has a direct impact on earthworm communities (abundance, diversity and proportion of juveniles) especially when Pb concentrations in soil were higher than 2050 mg·kg(-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Lévêque
- Université de Toulouse, INP-ENSAT, Av. Agrobiopôle, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; UMR 5245 CNRS-INP-UPS, EcoLab (Laboratoire d'écologie fonctionnelle), Avenue de l'Agrobiopôle, BP 32607, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; ADEME (French Agency for Environment and Energy Management), 20 avenue du Grésillé, BP 90406, 49004 Angers Cedex 01, France
| | - Yvan Capowiez
- INRA, UR 1115, Plantes et Systèmes Horticoles, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon cedex 09, France
| | - Eva Schreck
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, 14 Avenue E. Belin, F-31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Stéphane Mombo
- Université de Toulouse, INP-ENSAT, Av. Agrobiopôle, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; UMR 5245 CNRS-INP-UPS, EcoLab (Laboratoire d'écologie fonctionnelle), Avenue de l'Agrobiopôle, BP 32607, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | | | - Yann Foucault
- STCM, Société de Traitements Chimiques des Métaux, 30 Avenue Fondeyre, 31200 Toulouse, France
| | - Camille Dumat
- Certop, CNRS UMR 5044, Université Toulouse J. Jaurès, Toulouse, France
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