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Pinto A, Macário IPE, Marques SM, Lourenço J, Domingues I, Botelho MJ, Asselman J, Pereira P, Pereira JL. A short-term exposure to saxitoxin triggers a multitude of deleterious effects in Daphnia magna at levels deemed safe for human health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 951:175431. [PMID: 39128511 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms and the toxins produced during these events are a human and environmental health concern worldwide. Saxitoxin and its derivatives are potent natural aquatic neurotoxins produced by certain freshwater cyanobacteria and marine algae species during these bloom events. Saxitoxins effects on human health are well studied, however its effects on aquatic biota are still largely unexplored. This work aims at evaluating the effects of a pulse acute exposure (24 h) of the model cladoceran Daphnia magna to 30 μg saxitoxin L-1, which corresponds to the safety guideline established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for these toxins in recreational freshwaters. Saxitoxin effects were assessed through a comprehensive array of biochemical (antioxidant enzymes activity and lipid peroxidation), genotoxicity (alkaline comet assay), neurotoxicity (total cholinesterases activity), behavioral (swimming patterns), physiological (feeding rate and heart rate), and epigenetic (total 5-mC DNA methylation) biomarkers. Exposure resulted in decreased feeding rate, heart rate, total cholinesterases activity and catalase activity. Contrarily, other antioxidant enzymes, namely glutathione-S-transferases and selenium-dependent Glutathione peroxidase had their activity increased, together with lipid peroxidation levels. The enhancement of the antioxidant enzymes was not sufficient to prevent oxidative damage, as underpinned by lipid peroxidation enhancement. Accordingly, average DNA damage level was significantly increased in STX-exposed daphnids. Total DNA 5-mC level was significantly decreased in exposed organisms. Results showed that even a short-term exposure to saxitoxin causes significant effects on critical molecular and cellular pathways and modulates swimming patterns in D. magna individuals. This study highlights sub-lethal effects caused by saxitoxin in D. magna, suggesting that these toxins may represent a marked challenge to their thriving even at a concentration deemed safe for humans by the WHO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albano Pinto
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Inês P E Macário
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Sérgio M Marques
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana Lourenço
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Inês Domingues
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Maria João Botelho
- IPMA, Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal; CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Patrícia Pereira
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana L Pereira
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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Cheng L, Wang M, Yang B, Li Y, Wang T, Xi C, Han Y, Wang Z, Fang Y, Wei M, Du H, Xu A. Ultra-high static magnetic fields altered the embryonic division and development in Caenorhabditis elegans via multipolar spindles. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00316-3. [PMID: 39089616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.07.032] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ultra-high static magnetic fields (SMFs) have unique advantages in improving medical and academic research. However, the research on the early embryo exposure of ultra-high SMFs is minimal, extensive exploration is indispensable in living organisms. OBJECTIVES The present study was aimed to study the effects of ultra-high SMFs on the early embryonic division and development of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). METHODS Early adult parents containing fertilized eggs in vivo were exposed to SMFs at intensities ranging from 4 T to 27 T. The number of mitotic cells in the reproductive glands of the P0 worms, early embryonic cell spindle localization, embryo hatching and the reproductive as well as developmental indicators of F1 and F2 nematodes were examined as endpoints. RESULTS Our results indicated that ultra-high SMFs has no obvious effect on the germ cell cycle, while 14 T and 27 T SMFs significantly increased the proportion of multi-polar spindle formation in early embryonic cells, and reduced the developmental rate and lifespan of C. elegans exposed at the embryonic stage. Spindle abnormalities of early embryonic cells, as well as the down-regulation of genes related to asymmetric embryonic division and the abnormal expression of the non-muscle myosin NMY-2 in the division grooves played a critical role in the slowing down of embryonic development induced by ultra-high SMFs. CONCLUSIONS This study provided novel information and a new sight for evaluating the biosafety assessment by exposure to ultra-high SMFs at the early embryonic stage in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cheng
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China; School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China
| | - Mudi Wang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, PR China
| | - Baolin Yang
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China; School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China; School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China
| | - Tong Wang
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China
| | - Chuanying Xi
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics at Extreme Conditions, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China
| | - Yuyan Han
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics at Extreme Conditions, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China
| | - Ze Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics at Extreme Conditions, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China
| | - Yanwen Fang
- Heye Health Technology Co.,Ltd., Huzhou, Zhejiang 313300, PR China
| | - Min Wei
- Heye Health Technology Co.,Ltd., Huzhou, Zhejiang 313300, PR China
| | - Hua Du
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China
| | - An Xu
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, PR China; School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China.
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Car C, Quevarec L, Gilles A, Réale D, Bonzom JM. Evolutionary approach for pollution study: The case of ionizing radiation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 349:123692. [PMID: 38462194 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Estimating the consequences of environmental changes, specifically in a global change context, is essential for conservation issues. In the case of pollutants, the interest in using an evolutionary approach to investigate their consequences has been emphasized since the 2000s, but these studies remain rare compared to the characterization of direct effects on individual features. We focused on the study case of anthropogenic ionizing radiation because, despite its potential strong impact on evolution, the scarcity of evolutionary approaches to study the biological consequences of this stressor is particularly true. In this study, by investigating some particular features of the biological effects of this stressor, and by reviewing existing studies on evolution under ionizing radiation, we suggest that evolutionary approach may help provide an integrative view on the biological consequences of ionizing radiation. We focused on three topics: (i) the mutagenic properties of ionizing radiation and its disruption of evolutionary processes, (ii) exposures at different time scales, leading to an interaction between past and contemporary evolution, and (iii) the special features of contaminated areas called exclusion zones and how evolution could match field and laboratory observed effects. This approach can contribute to answering several key issues in radioecology: to explain species differences in the sensitivity to ionizing radiation, to improve our estimation of the impacts of ionizing radiation on populations, and to help identify the environmental features impacting organisms (e.g., interaction with other pollution, migration of populations, anthropogenic environmental changes). Evolutionary approach would benefit from being integrated to the ecological risk assessment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Car
- Laboratoire de Recherche sur Les Effets des Radionucléides sur L'écosystème (LECO), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Saint-Paul Lèz Durance, France
| | - Loïc Quevarec
- Laboratoire de Recherche sur Les Effets des Radionucléides sur L'écosystème (LECO), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Saint-Paul Lèz Durance, France.
| | - André Gilles
- UMR Risques, ECOsystèmes, Vulnérabilité, Environnement, Résilience (RECOVER), Aix-Marseille Université (AMU), Marseille, France
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université Du Québec à Montréal, (UQAM), Montréal, Canada
| | - Jean-Marc Bonzom
- Laboratoire de Recherche sur Les Effets des Radionucléides sur L'écosystème (LECO), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Saint-Paul Lèz Durance, France
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Degenhardt Ä, Sreetharan S, Amrenova A, Adam-Guillermin C, Dekkers F, Dumit S, Frelon S, Horemans N, Laurier D, Liutsko L, Salomaa S, Schneider T, Hande MP, Wakeford R, Applegate KE. The ICRP, MELODI, and ALLIANCE workshop on effects of ionizing radiation exposure in offspring and next generations: a summary of discussions. Int J Radiat Biol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38284800 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2024.2306335] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Task Group 121 - Effects of ionizing radiation exposure in offspring and next generations - is a task group under the Committee 1 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), approved by the Main Commission on 18th November 2021. The main goals of Task Group 121 are to (1) review and update the scientific literature of relevance to radiation-related effects in the offspring of parent(s) exposed to ionizing radiation in both human and non-human biota; (2) to assess preconceptional and intrauterine effects of radiation exposure and related morbidity and mortality; and, (3) to provide advice about the level of evidence and how to consider these preconceptional and postconceptional effects in the system of radiological protection for humans and non-human biota. METHODS The Task Group is reviewing relevant literature since Publication 90 'Biological effects after prenatal irradiation (embryo and fetus)' (2003) and will include radiation-related effects on future generations in humans, animals, and plants. This review will be conducted to account for the health effects on offspring and subsequent generations in the current system of radiological protection. Radiation detriment calculation will also be reviewed. Finally, preliminary recommendations will be made to update the integration of health effects in offspring and next generations in the system of radiological protection. RESULTS A Workshop, jointly organized by ICRP Task Group 121 and European Radiation Protection Research Platforms MELODI and ALLIANCE was held in Budapest, Hungary, from 31st May to 2nd June 2022. Participants discussed four important topics: (1) hereditary and epigenetic effects due to exposure of the germ cell line (preconceptional exposure), (2) effects arising from exposure of the embryo and fetus (intrauterine exposure), (3) transgenerational effects on biota, and (4) its potential impact on the system of radiological protection. CONCLUSIONS Based on the discussions and presentations during the breakout sessions, newer publications, and gaps on the current scientific literature were identified. For instance, there are some ongoing systematic reviews and radiation epidemiology reviews of intrauterine effects. There are newer methods of Monte Carlo simulation for fetal dosimetry, and advances in radiation genetics, epigenetics, and radiobiology studies. While the current impact of hereditary effects on the global detriment was reported as small, the questions surrounding the effects of radiation exposure on offspring and the next generation are crucial, recurring, and with a major focus on exposed populations. This article summarizes the workshop discussions, presentations, and conclusions of each topic and introduces the special issue of the International Journal of Radiation Biology resulting from the discussions of the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ämilie Degenhardt
- Division of Medical and Occupational Radiation Protection, German Federal Office for Radiation Protections (BfS), Neuherberg, Germany
| | | | - Aidana Amrenova
- French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), France
| | | | - Fieke Dekkers
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Dumit
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Radiation Protection Division, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Sandrine Frelon
- French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), France
| | - Nele Horemans
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Dominique Laurier
- French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), France
| | | | - Sisko Salomaa
- Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Finland
| | - Thierry Schneider
- Nuclear Protection Evaluation Centre (CEPN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Manoor P Hande
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Richard Wakeford
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, UK
| | - Kimberly E Applegate
- Department of Radiology (retired), University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
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Mishra M. Daphnia magna as a Model Organism to Predict the Teratogenic Effect of Different Compounds. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2753:261-281. [PMID: 38285344 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3625-1_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
For aquatic ecosystem Daphnia magna is evolving as a model organism to check the teratogenicity of numerous compounds. D. magna can be easily cultured in the laboratory, and the teratogen effect of several compounds can be easily studied. The developmental stages are well studied in D. magna. All the developmental stages are transparent so the defect can be easily accessed. So, the postembryonic developmental changes can be easily studied after the exposure with teratogen. More importantly, D. magna also have a swimming behavioral phenotype. The behavioral defect can be easily accessed after teratogen exposure. The current chapter summarizes numerous protocols associated with embryo and adult staining and adult behavioral assays that can be used to access the teratogenicity of any unknown compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monalisa Mishra
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India.
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Pinto A, Botelho MJ, Churro C, Asselman J, Pereira P, Pereira JL. A review on aquatic toxins - Do we really know it all regarding the environmental risk posed by phytoplankton neurotoxins? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118769. [PMID: 37597370 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic toxins are potent natural toxins produced by certain cyanobacteria and marine algae species during harmful cyanobacterial and algal blooms (CyanoHABs and HABs, respectively). These harmful bloom events and the toxins produced during these events are a human and environmental health concern worldwide, with occurrence, frequency and severity of CyanoHABs and HABs being predicted to keep increasing due to ongoing climate change scenarios. These contexts, as well as human health consequences of some toxins produced during bloom events have been thoroughly reviewed before. Conversely, the wider picture that includes the non-human biota in the assessment of noxious effects of toxins is much less covered in the literature and barely covered by review works. Despite direct human exposure to aquatic toxins and related deleterious effects being responsible for the majority of the public attention to the blooms' problematic, it constitutes a very limited fraction of the real environmental risk posed by these toxins. The disruption of ecological and trophic interactions caused by these toxins in the aquatic biota building on deleterious effects they may induce in different species is paramount as a modulator of the overall magnitude of the environmental risk potentially involved, thus necessarily constraining the quality and efficiency of the management strategies that should be placed. In this way, this review aims at updating and consolidating current knowledge regarding the adverse effects of aquatic toxins, attempting to going beyond their main toxicity pathways in human and related models' health, i.e., also focusing on ecologically relevant model organisms. For conciseness and considering the severity in terms of documented human health risks as a reference, we restricted the detailed revision work to neurotoxic cyanotoxins and marine toxins. This comprehensive revision of the systemic effects of aquatic neurotoxins provides a broad overview of the exposure and the hazard that these compounds pose to human and environmental health. Regulatory approaches they are given worldwide, as well as (eco)toxicity data available were hence thoroughly reviewed. Critical research gaps were identified particularly regarding (i) the toxic effects other than those typical of the recognized disease/disorder each toxin causes following acute exposure in humans and also in other biota; and (ii) alternative detection tools capable of being early-warning signals for aquatic toxins occurrence and therefore provide better human and environmental safety insurance. Future directions on aquatic toxins research are discussed in face of the existent knowledge, with particular emphasis on the much-needed development and implementation of effective alternative (eco)toxicological biomarkers for these toxins. The wide-spanning approach followed herein will hopefully stimulate future research more broadly addressing the environmental hazardous potential of aquatic toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albano Pinto
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Maria João Botelho
- IPMA, Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165, Algés, Portugal; CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Catarina Churro
- IPMA, Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165, Algés, Portugal; CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Patrícia Pereira
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana Luísa Pereira
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
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Pham K, Ho L, D'Incal CP, De Cock A, Berghe WV, Goethals P. Epigenetic analytical approaches in ecotoxicological aquatic research. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 330:121737. [PMID: 37121302 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental epigenetics has become a key research focus in global climate change studies and environmental pollutant investigations impacting aquatic ecosystems. Specifically, triggered by environmental stress conditions, intergenerational DNA methylation changes contribute to biological adaptive responses and survival of organisms to increase their tolerance towards these conditions. To critically review epigenetic analytical approaches in ecotoxicological aquatic research, we evaluated 78 publications reported over the past five years (2016-2021) that applied these methods to investigate the responses of aquatic organisms to environmental changes and pollution. The results show that DNA methylation appears to be the most robust epigenetic regulatory mark studied in aquatic animals. As such, multiple DNA methylation analysis methods have been developed in aquatic organisms, including enzyme restriction digestion-based and methyl-specific immunoprecipitation methods, and bisulfite (in)dependent sequencing strategies. In contrast, only a handful of aquatic studies, i.e. about 15%, have been focusing on histone variants and post-translational modifications due to the lack of species-specific affinity based immunological reagents, such as specific antibodies for chromatin immunoprecipitation applications. Similarly, ncRNA regulation remains as the least popular method used in the field of environmental epigenetics. Insights into the opportunities and challenges of the DNA methylation and histone variant analysis methods as well as decreasing costs of next generation sequencing approaches suggest that large-scale epigenetic environmental studies in model and non-model organisms will soon become available in the near future. Moreover, antibody-dependent and independent methods, such as mass spectrometry-based methods, can be used as an alternative epigenetic approach to characterize global changes of chromatin histone modifications in future aquatic research. Finally, a systematic guide for DNA methylation and histone variant methods is offered for ecotoxicological aquatic researchers to select the most relevant epigenetic analytical approach in their research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Pham
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
| | - Long Ho
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Claudio Peter D'Incal
- Protein Chemistry, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium
| | - Andrée De Cock
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Wim Vanden Berghe
- Protein Chemistry, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium
| | - Peter Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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Im H, Kang J, Jacob MF, Bae H, Oh JE. Transgenerational effects of benzotriazole on the gene expression, growth, and reproduction of Daphnia magna. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 323:121211. [PMID: 36740167 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Due to its widespread and intensive use as a corrosion inhibitor, benzotriazole is ubiquitously detected from a few parts per billion to several hundred parts per million in aquatic environments. The long-term toxicity of benzotriazole is unclear despite its low acute toxicity. Therefore, we investigated the transgenerational effects of benzotriazole at the genomic and individual levels using the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia magna. Maternal exposure to sublethal concentrations (15 and 30 mg/L) of benzotriazole exerted transgenerational effects on D. magna at the genomic and individual levels even in descendants that have never been exposed to benzotriazole. Significant alterations in the expression of Cyp, GST, Vtg1, and Hb and in neonate size were observed in the unexposed F3 generation, confirming the transgenerational effect of benzotriazole. Interestingly, detoxification related genes Cyp and GST were unaffected or downregulated in the exposed generation but upregulated in the following unexposed generations. Furthermore, continuous multigenerational exposure to an environmental concentration (4.3 μg/L) of benzotriazole also upregulated detoxification genes in decent generations but exerted no individual-level effects in subsequent generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyungjoon Im
- Institute for Environment and Energy, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeon Kang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Macha Fulgence Jacob
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyokwan Bae
- Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea; Graduate School of Carbon Neutrality, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Eun Oh
- Institute for Environment and Energy, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
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Agrelius TC, Altman J, Dudycha JL. The maternal effects of dietary restriction on Dnmt expression and reproduction in two clones of Daphnia pulex. Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 130:73-81. [PMID: 36477021 PMCID: PMC9905607 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00581-7] [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] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The inheritance of epigenetic marks induced by environmental variation in a previous generation is broadly accepted as a mediator of phenotypic plasticity. Transgenerational effects linking maternal experiences to changes in morphology, gene expression, and life history of successive generations are known across many taxa. While the number of studies linking epigenetic variation to ecological maternal effects is increasing rapidly, few if any attempts have been made to investigate molecular mechanisms governing epigenetic functions in the context of ecologically relevant maternal effects. Daphnia make an ideal model for investigating molecular epigenetic mechanisms and ecological maternal effects because they will reproduce asexually in the lab. Daphnia are also known to have strong maternal effects, involving a variety of traits and environmental variables. Using two clones of Daphnia pulex, we investigated the plasticity of life history and DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) gene expression with respect to food limitation within and across generations. We found strong evidence of genotypic variation of responses of life history and Dnmt expression to low food diets, both within and across generations. In general, effects of offspring diet were larger than either the direct maternal effect or offspring-maternal environment interactions, but the direction of the maternal effect was usually in the opposite direction of the within-generation effect. For both life history and Dnmt expression, we also found that when offspring had low food, effects of the maternal environment were stronger than when offspring had high food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trenton C Agrelius
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, USA.
| | - Julia Altman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Jeffry L Dudycha
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
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10
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Jeremias G, Veloso T, Gonçalves FJM, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Pereira JL, Asselman J. Multigenerational DNA methylation responses to copper exposure in Daphnia: Potential targets for epigenetic biomarkers? CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136231. [PMID: 36055596 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are moving to the forefront of environmental sciences, as environmentally induced epigenetic changes shape biological responses to chemical contamination. This work focused on Daphnia as a representative of potentially threatened freshwater biota, aiming to gain an insight into the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in their response and eventual adaptation to metal contamination. Copper-induced DNA methylation changes, their potential transgenerational inheritance, and life-history traits were assessed. Organisms with different histories of past exposure to copper were exposed to toxic levels of the element for one generation (F0) and then monitored for three subsequent unexposed generations (F1, F2, and F3). Overall, methylation changes targeted important genes for counteracting the effects of metals and oxidative stress, including dynein light chain, ribosomal kinase and nuclear fragile X mental retardation-interacting protein. Also, contrasting overall and gene-specific methylation responses were observed in organisms differing in their history of exposure to copper, with different transgenerational methylation responses being also identified among the two groups, without apparent life-history costs. Taken together, these results demonstrate the capacity of copper to promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance in a manner related explicitly to history of exposure, thereby supporting the development and incorporation of epigenetic biomarkers in risk assessment frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Jeremias
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Telma Veloso
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal; CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fernando J M Gonçalves
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Joana Luísa Pereira
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400, Ostend, Belgium
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11
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Liu Z, Zhou T, Gao D. Genetic and epigenetic regulation of growth, reproduction, disease resistance and stress responses in aquaculture. Front Genet 2022; 13:994471. [PMID: 36406125 PMCID: PMC9666392 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.994471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Major progress has been made with genomic and genetic studies in aquaculture in the last decade. However, research on epigenetic regulation of aquaculture traits is still at an early stage. It is apparent that most, if not all, aquaculture traits are regulated at both genetic and epigenetic levels. This paper reviews recent progress in understanding of genetic and epigenetic regulation of important aquaculture traits such as growth, reproduction, disease resistance, and stress responses. Although it is challenging to make generalized statements, DNA methylation is mostly correlated with down-regulation of gene expression, especially when at promoters and enhancers. As such, methylation of growth factors and their receptors is negatively correlated with growth; hypomethylation of genes important for stress tolerance is correlated with increased stress tolerance; hypomethylation of genes important for male or female sex differentiation leads to sex differentiation into males or females, respectively. It is apparent that environmental regulation of aquaculture traits is mediated at the level of epigenetic regulation, and such environment-induced epigenetic changes appeared to be intergenerationally inherited, but evidences for transgenerational inheritance are still limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanjiang Liu
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Zhanjiang Liu,
| | - Tao Zhou
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding of Marine Organisms, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Dongya Gao
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
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12
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Yushkova E. Contribution of transposable elements to transgenerational effects of chronic radioactive exposure of natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster living for a long time in the zone of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 251-252:106945. [PMID: 35696883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) led to the negative impact of chronic radioactive contamination on populations of organisms associated with the transgenerational transmission of genome instability. When the destabilization of genome, different genetic damages occur, the accumulation of which leads to the formation of mutations, morphological anomalies, and mortality in the offspring. The mechanisms underlying the manifestation of transgenerational events in the offspring of irradiated parents are not well understood. In this study, for the first time, the features of the influence of transposable elements (TEs) on the long-term biological consequences of the ChNPP are considered. In this work, specimens of D. melanogaster obtained from natural populations in 2007 in the areas of the ChNPP with heterogeneous radioactive contamination were studied. The descendants from these populations were maintained in laboratory (inbred) conditions for 160 generations. A stable transgenerational transmission of dominant lethal mutations (DLMs) to the offspring of all studied populations was shown. The DLM frequencies strongly were correlated with the level of survival of offspring. The mean frequencies of recessive sex-linked lethal mutations varied at the level of spontaneous point mutations. The simultaneous presence of P, hobo and I elements indicates that the studied populations do not have a definite cytotype, their phenotypic status is unstable. The behavior of TEs in the genomes of offspring depends not only on parental exposure, but also on origin of population, distance to the ChNPP, and inbred conditions. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that TEs are involved in transgenerational transmission and accumulation of mutations by the offspring of irradiated parents. The TEs pattern present in the Chernobyl genomes of D. melanogaster is a peculiar of epigenetic mechanism for the regulation of plasticity and adaptation of populations living for many generations under conditions of a technogenically caused radiation background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Yushkova
- Institute of Biology of Komi Scientific Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Syktyvkar, Russia.
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13
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Tollefsen KE, Alonzo F, Beresford NA, Brede DA, Dufourcq-Sekatcheff E, Gilbin R, Horemans N, Hurem S, Laloi P, Maremonti E, Oughton D, Simon O, Song Y, Wood MD, Xie L, Frelon S. Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for radiation-induced reproductive effects in environmental species: state of science and identification of a consensus AOP network. Int J Radiat Biol 2022; 98:1816-1831. [PMID: 35976054 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2110317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reproductive effects of ionizing radiation in organisms have been observed under laboratory and field conditions. Such assessments often rely on associations between exposure and effects, and thus lacking a detailed mechanistic understanding of causality between effects occurring at different levels of biological organization. The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP), a conceptual knowledge framework to capture, organize, evaluate and visualize the scientific knowledge of relevant toxicological effects, has the potential to evaluate the causal relationships between molecular, cellular, individual, and population effects. This paper presents the first development of a set of consensus AOPs for reproductive effects of ionizing radiation in wildlife. This work was performed by a group of experts formed during a workshop organized jointly by the Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative (MELODI) and the European Radioecology Alliance (ALLIANCE) associations to present the AOP approach and tools. The work presents a series of taxon-specific case studies that were used to identify relevant empirical evidence, identify common AOP components and propose a set of consensus AOPs that could be organized into an AOP network with broader taxonomic applicability. CONCLUSION Expert consultation led to the identification of key biological events and description of causal linkages between ionizing radiation, reproductive impairment and reduction in population fitness. The study characterized the knowledge domain of taxon-specific AOPs, identified knowledge gaps pertinent to reproductive-relevant AOP development and reflected on how AOPs could assist applications in radiation (radioecological) research, environmental health assessment, and radiological protection. Future advancement and consolidation of the AOPs is planned to include structured weight of evidence considerations, formalized review and critical assessment of the empirical evidence prior to formal submission and review by the OECD sponsored AOP development program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway.,Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Frédéric Alonzo
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Nicholas A Beresford
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, UK.,School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Dag Anders Brede
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway.,Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Elizabeth Dufourcq-Sekatcheff
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Rodolphe Gilbin
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | | | - Selma Hurem
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway.,Faculty of Veterinary medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Patrick Laloi
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Erica Maremonti
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway.,Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Deborah Oughton
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway.,Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Olivier Simon
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - You Song
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.,Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Michael D Wood
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Li Xie
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.,Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Sandrine Frelon
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
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14
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Šrut M. Environmental Epigenetics in Soil Ecosystems: Earthworms as Model Organisms. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10070406. [PMID: 35878310 PMCID: PMC9323174 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10070406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the major emerging concerns within ecotoxicology is the effect of environmental pollutants on epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate gene expression, meaning that the alterations of epigenetic marks can induce long-term physiological effects that can even be inherited across generations. Many invertebrate species have been used as models in environmental epigenetics, with a special focus on DNA methylation changes caused by environmental perturbations (e.g., pollution). Among soil organisms, earthworms are considered the most relevant sentinel organisms for anthropogenic stress assessment and are widely used as standard models in ecotoxicological testing of soil toxicity. In the last decade, several research groups have focused on assessing the impact of environmental stress on earthworm epigenetic mechanisms and tried to link these mechanisms to the physiological effects. The aim of this review is to give an overview and to critically examine the available literature covering this topic. The high level of earthworm genome methylation for an invertebrate species, responsiveness of epigenome to environmental stimuli, availability of molecular resources, and the possibility to study epigenetic inheritance make earthworms adequate models in environmental epigenomics. However, there are still many knowledge gaps that need to be filled in, before we can fully explore earthworms as models in this field. These include detailed characterization of the methylome using next-generation sequencing tools, exploration of multigenerational and transgenerational effects of pollutants, and information about other epigenetic mechanisms apart from DNA methylation. Moreover, the connection between epigenetic effects and phenotype has to be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Šrut
- Department of Zoology, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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15
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Feiner N, Radersma R, Vasquez L, Ringnér M, Nystedt B, Raine A, Tobi EW, Heijmans BT, Uller T. Environmentally induced DNA methylation is inherited across generations in an aquatic keystone species. iScience 2022; 25:104303. [PMID: 35573201 PMCID: PMC9097707 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenerational inheritance of environmentally induced epigenetic marks can have significant impacts on eco-evolutionary dynamics, but the phenomenon remains controversial in ecological model systems. We used whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of individual water fleas (Daphnia magna) to assess whether environmentally induced DNA methylation is transgenerationally inherited. Genetically identical females were exposed to one of three natural stressors, or a de-methylating drug, and their offspring were propagated clonally for four generations under control conditions. We identified between 70 and 225 differentially methylated CpG positions (DMPs) in F1 individuals whose mothers were exposed to a natural stressor. Roughly half of these environmentally induced DMPs persisted until generation F4. In contrast, treatment with the drug demonstrated that pervasive hypomethylation upon exposure is reset almost completely after one generation. These results suggest that environmentally induced DNA methylation is non-random and stably inherited across generations in Daphnia, making epigenetic inheritance a putative factor in the eco-evolutionary dynamics of freshwater communities. Naturally induced DNA-methylation persists until generation F4 in Daphnia Drug-induced de-methylation is reset after one generation Methylation is enriched in exons suggesting a gene regulatory function Epigenetic inheritance may influence eco-evolutionary dynamics
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reinder Radersma
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Louella Vasquez
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Markus Ringnér
- Department of Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Björn Nystedt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amanda Raine
- Department of Medical Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elmar W Tobi
- Periconceptional Epidemiology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Science, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan T Heijmans
- Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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16
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Abdullahi M, Zhou J, Dandhapani V, Chaturvedi A, Orsini L. Historical exposure to chemicals reduces tolerance to novel chemical stress in Daphnia (waterflea). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3098-3111. [PMID: 35377519 PMCID: PMC9321109 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Until the last few decades, anthropogenic chemicals used in most production processes have not been comprehensively assessed for their risk and impact on wildlife and humans. They are transported globally and usually end up in the environment as unintentional pollutants, causing long‐term adverse effects. Modern toxicology practices typically use acute toxicity tests of unrealistic concentrations of chemicals to determine their safe use, missing pathological effects arising from long‐term exposures to environmentally relevant concentrations. Here, we study the transgenerational effect of environmentally relevant concentrations of five chemicals on the priority list of international regulatory frameworks on the keystone species Daphnia magna. We expose Daphnia genotypes resurrected from the sedimentary archive of a lake with a known history of chemical pollution to the five chemicals to understand how historical exposure to chemicals influences adaptive responses to novel chemical stress. We measure within‐ and transgenerational plasticity in fitness‐linked life history traits following exposure of “experienced” and “naive” genotypes to novel chemical stress. As the revived Daphnia originate from the same genetic pool sampled at different times in the past, we are able to quantify the long‐term evolutionary impact of chemical pollution by studying genome‐wide diversity and identifying functional pathways affected by historical chemical stress. Our results suggest that historical exposure to chemical stress causes reduced genome‐wide diversity, leading to lower cross‐generational tolerance to novel chemical stress. Lower tolerance is underpinned by reduced gene diversity at detoxification, catabolism and endocrine genes in experienced genotypes. We show that these genes sit within pathways that are conserved and potential chemical targets in other species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Abdullahi
- Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jiarui Zhou
- Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Vignesh Dandhapani
- Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Anurag Chaturvedi
- Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Luisa Orsini
- Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.,The Alan Turing Institute, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB, UK
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17
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Aigner GP, Nenning P, Fiechtner B, Šrut M, Höckner M. DNA Methylation and Detoxification in the Earthworm Lumbricus terrestris Exposed to Cadmium and the DNA Demethylation Agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. TOXICS 2022; 10:100. [PMID: 35202286 PMCID: PMC8879108 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10020100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Earthworms are well-established model organisms for testing the effects of heavy metal pollution. How DNA methylation affects cadmium (Cd) detoxification processes such as the expression of metallothionein 2 (MT2), however, is largely unknown. We therefore exposed Lumbricus terrestris to 200 mg concentrations of Cd and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Aza), a demethylating agent, and sampled tissue and coelomocytes, cells of the innate immune system, for 48 h. MT2 transcription significantly increased in the Cd- and Cd-Aza-treated groups. In tissue samples, a significant decrease in MT2 in the Aza-treated group was detected, showing that Aza treatment inhibits basal MT2 gene activity but has no effect on Cd-induced MT2 levels. Although Cd repressed the gene expression of DNA-(cytosine-5)-methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1), which is responsible for maintaining DNA methylation, DNMT activity was unchanged, meaning that methylation maintenance was not affected in coelomocytes. The treatment did not influence DNMT3, which mediates de novo methylation, TET gene expression, which orchestrates demethylation, and global levels of hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), a product of the demethylation process. Taken together, this study indicates that Aza inhibits basal gene activity, in contrast to Cd-induced MT2 gene expression, but does not affect global DNA methylation. We therefore conclude that Cd detoxification based on the induction of MT2 does not relate to DNA methylation changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Martina Höckner
- Department of Zoology, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (G.P.A.); (P.N.); (B.F.); (M.Š.)
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18
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Harney E, Paterson S, Collin H, Chan BH, Bennett D, Plaistow SJ. Pollution induces epigenetic effects that are stably transmitted across multiple generations. Evol Lett 2022; 6:118-135. [PMID: 35386832 PMCID: PMC8966472 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that the effects of pollutants on phenotypes can be passed to subsequent generations through epigenetic inheritance, affecting populations long after the removal of a pollutant. But there is still little evidence that pollutants can induce persistent epigenetic effects in animals. Here, we show that low doses of commonly used pollutants induce genome‐wide differences in cytosine methylation in the freshwater crustacean Daphnia pulex. Uniclonal populations were either continually exposed to pollutants or switched to clean water, and methylation was compared to control populations that did not experience pollutant exposure. Although some direct changes to methylation were only present in the continually exposed populations, others were present in both the continually exposed and switched to clean water treatments, suggesting that these modifications had persisted for 7 months (>15 generations). We also identified modifications that were only present in the populations that had switched to clean water, indicating a long‐term legacy of pollutant exposure distinct from the persistent effects. Pollutant‐induced differential methylation tended to occur at sites that were highly methylated in controls. Modifications that were observed in both continually and switched treatments were highly methylated in controls and showed reduced methylation in the treatments. On the other hand, modifications found just in the switched treatment tended to have lower levels of methylation in the controls and showed increase methylation in the switched treatment. In a second experiment, we confirmed that sublethal doses of the same pollutants generate effects on life histories for at least three generations following the removal of the pollutant. Our results demonstrate that even low doses of pollutants can induce transgenerational epigenetic effects that are stably transmitted over many generations. Persistent effects are likely to influence phenotypic development, which could contribute to the rapid adaptation, or extinction, of populations confronted by anthropogenic stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewan Harney
- Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZB United Kingdom
- Current address: Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐UPF) CMIMA Building Barcelona 08003 Spain
| | - Steve Paterson
- Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZB United Kingdom
| | - Hélène Collin
- Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZB United Kingdom
| | - Brian H.K. Chan
- Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZB United Kingdom
- Current address: Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health The University of Manchester Manchester M13 9PT United Kingdom
| | - Daimark Bennett
- Molecular and Physiology Cell Signalling, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZB United Kingdom
| | - Stewart J. Plaistow
- Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZB United Kingdom
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19
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Yushkova E. Radiobiological features in offspring of natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster after Chernobyl accident. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2022; 63:84-97. [PMID: 35275441 DOI: 10.1002/em.22476] [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: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In their natural habitats, populations of organisms are faced with different levels of chronic low-intensity radiation, causing a wide range of radiobiological effects (from radiosensitivity to radioadaptive response and hormesis). In this study, specimens of Drosophila melanogaster were selected from territories of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with different levels of radioactive contamination. The isogenic stocks derived from these specimens represent the genetic systems of current populations and make it possible to study radioresistance and its mechanisms in future generations under controlled laboratory conditions. Previous studies have shown that transgenerational radiation effects at the level of lethal mutations and survival rate are unstable and depend not only on the level of chronic low-intensity irradiation, but also on other factors. A single acute irradiation exposure of offspring whose parents inhabited a site with a higher level of chronic irradiation made it possible to reveal pronounced radioresistant features in the offspring. And the offspring whose parents were exposed to radiation levels close to the natural radiation background, on the contrary, acquired radiosensitive features. Their response to acute exposure includes a high-frequency of lethal mutations and a short lifespan. The differential response to different levels of chronic parental exposure is caused by differences in the activities of certain transposons that destabilize the genome. Our data contribute to the understanding of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms (via transposon activity) of the effect of parental radiation exposure on the health and adaptive potential of populations affected by the technogenically increased radiation background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Yushkova
- Institute of Biology of Komi Scientific Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Syktyvkar, Russia
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20
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Guédon R, Maremonti E, Armant O, Galas S, Brede DA, Lecomte-Pradines C. A systems biology analysis of reproductive toxicity effects induced by multigenerational exposure to ionizing radiation in C. elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 225:112793. [PMID: 34544019 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of chronic exposure to pollutants over generations is of primary importance for the protection of humans and the environment; however, to date, knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying multigenerational adverse effects is scarce. We employed a systems biology approach to analyze effects of chronic exposure to gamma radiation at molecular, tissue and individual levels in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Our data show a decrease of 23% in the number of offspring on the first generation F0 and more than 40% in subsequent generations F1, F2 and F3. To unveil the impact on the germline, an in-depth analysis of reproductive processes involved in gametes formation was performed for all four generations. We measured a decrease in the number of mitotic germ cells accompanied by increased cell-cycle arrest in the distal part of the gonad. Further impact on the germline was manifested by decreased sperm quantity and quality. In order to obtain insight in the molecular mechanisms leading to decreased fecundity, gene expression was investigated via whole genome RNA sequencing. The transcriptomic analysis revealed modulation of transcription factors, as well as genes involved in stress response, unfolded protein response, lipid metabolism and reproduction. Furthermore, a drastic increase in the number of differentially expressed genes involved in defense response was measured in the last two generations, suggesting a cumulative stress effect of ionizing radiation exposure. Transcription factor binding site enrichment analysis and the use of transgenic strain identified daf-16/FOXO as a master regulator of genes differentially expressed in response to radiation. The presented data provide new knowledge with respect to the molecular mechanisms involved in reproductive toxic effects and accumulated stress resulting from multigenerational exposure to ionizing radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Guédon
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-ENV, SRTE, Laboratoire d'ECOtoxicologie des radionucléides (LECO), Cadarache, France
| | - Erica Maremonti
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Olivier Armant
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-ENV, SRTE, Laboratoire d'ECOtoxicologie des radionucléides (LECO), Cadarache, France
| | - Simon Galas
- Institut des biomolecules Max Mousseron (IBMM), University of Montpellier, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Dag Anders Brede
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Catherine Lecomte-Pradines
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-ENV, SRTE, Laboratoire d'ECOtoxicologie des radionucléides (LECO), Cadarache, France.
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21
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Šrut M. Ecotoxicological epigenetics in invertebrates: Emerging tool for the evaluation of present and past pollution burden. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 282:131026. [PMID: 34111635 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The effect of environmental pollution on epigenetic changes and their heredity in affected organisms is of major concern as such changes can play a significant role in adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Changes of epigenetic marks including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA's can induce changes in gene transcription leading to physiological long-term changes or even transgenerational inheritance. Such mechanisms have until recently been scarcely studied in invertebrate organisms, mainly focusing on model species including Caenorhabditis elegans and Daphnia magna. However, more data are becoming available, particularly focused on DNA methylation changes caused by anthropogenic pollutants in a wide range of invertebrates. This review examines the literature from field and laboratory studies utilising invertebrate species exposed to environmental pollutants and their effect on DNA methylation. Possible mechanisms of epigenetic modifications and their role on physiology and adaptation as well as the incidence of intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance are discussed. Furthermore, critical research challenges are defined and the way forward is proposed. Future studies should focus on the use of next generation sequencing tools to define invertebrate methylomes under environmental stress in higher resolution, those data should further be linked to gene expression patterns and phenotypes and detailed studies focusing on transgenerational effects are encouraged. Moreover, studies of other epigenetic mechanisms in various invertebrate species, apart from DNA methylation would provide better understanding of interconnected cross-talk between epigenetic marks. Taken together incorporating epigenetic studies in ecotoxicology context presents a promising tool for development of sensitive biomarkers for environmental stress assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Šrut
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Zoology, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
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22
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Poulsen R, De Fine Licht HH, Hansen M, Cedergreen N. Grandmother's pesticide exposure revealed bi-generational effects in Daphnia magna. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 236:105861. [PMID: 34049113 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Man-made chemicals are a significant contributor to the ongoing deterioration of numerous ecosystems. Currently, risk assessment of these chemicals is based on observations in a single generation of animals, despite potential adverse intergenerational effects. Here, we investigate the effect of the fungicide prochloraz across three generations of Daphnia magna. We studied both the effects of continuous exposure over all generations and the effects of first-generation (F0) exposure on two subsequent generations. Effects at different levels of biological organization from genome-wide gene expression, whole organism metabolite levels, CYP enzyme activity and key phenotypic effects, such as reproduction, were monitored. Acclimation to prochloraz was found after continuous exposure. Following F0-exposure, embryonically exposed F1-offspring showed no significant effects. However, in the potentially germline exposed F2 animals, several parameters differed significantly from controls. A direct association between these F2 effects and the toxic mode of action of prochloraz was found, showing that chemicals can be harmful not only to the directly exposed generation, but also to prenatally exposed generations and in that way effects may even appear to skip a generation. This implies that current risk assessment practices are neglecting an important aspect of toxicity, such as delayed effects across generations due to a time gap between chemical exposure and emergence of effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikke Poulsen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark; Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Henrik H De Fine Licht
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Martin Hansen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Nina Cedergreen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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23
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Vogt G. Epigenetic variation in animal populations: Sources, extent, phenotypic implications, and ecological and evolutionary relevance. J Biosci 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-021-00138-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Li J, Li H, Lin D, Li M, Wang Q, Xie S, Zhang Y, Liu F. Effects of butyl benzyl phthalate exposure on Daphnia magna growth, reproduction, embryonic development and transcriptomic responses. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 404:124030. [PMID: 33045484 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) is widely used as a plasticizer to increase the plasticity and flexibility of plastic products. Although the potential health hazards of BBP have recently received extensive attention, its toxicological properties and mechanisms remain largely undefined. In the present work, growth, reproductive and developmental toxicity of BBP to Daphnia magna were evaluated, and the transcriptomic alteration of early embryos upon BBP exposure was analyzed. In a 21-day chronic toxicity test, reduced survival ratio, decreased body length, increased abnormal ratio, advanced time to first brood, and reduced offspring of D. magna were observed. BBP exposure inhibited expression of the vitellogenin gene. In addition, embryotoxicity of BBP was observed, which showed not only in the induction of abnormal neonates, but also in the shortened embryonic development cycle. RNA-Seq of early embryo treated with 0.1 mg/L BBP indicated that the pathways involved in signal transduction, cell communication, and embryonic development were significantly down-regulated, while those of biosynthesis, metabolism, cell homeostasis, redox homeostasis were remarkably up-regulated upon BBP exposure, which was consistent with the above phenotypic results. Taken together, our results highlight the toxic effects of BBP on the embryonic development and larval growth of D. magna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- The International Centre for Precision Environmental Health and Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Haotian Li
- Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Dongdong Lin
- Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Muyi Li
- The International Centre for Precision Environmental Health and Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Quansheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Song Xie
- Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Yuming Zhang
- The International Centre for Precision Environmental Health and Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
| | - Fengsong Liu
- The International Centre for Precision Environmental Health and Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Key Laboratory of zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
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Hearn J, Plenderleith F, Little TJ. DNA methylation differs extensively between strains of the same geographical origin and changes with age in Daphnia magna. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:4. [PMID: 33407738 PMCID: PMC7789248 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-020-00379-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patterns of methylation influence lifespan, but methylation and lifespan may also depend on diet, or differ between genotypes. Prior to this study, interactions between diet and genotype have not been explored together to determine their influence on methylation. The invertebrate Daphnia magna is an excellent choice for testing the epigenetic response to the environment: parthenogenetic offspring are identical to their siblings (making for powerful genetic comparisons), they are relatively short lived and have well-characterised inter-strain life-history trait differences. We performed a survival analysis in response to caloric restriction and then undertook a 47-replicate experiment testing the DNA methylation response to ageing and caloric restriction of two strains of D. magna. RESULTS Methylated cytosines (CpGs) were most prevalent in exons two to five of gene bodies. One strain exhibited a significantly increased lifespan in response to caloric restriction, but there was no effect of food-level CpG methylation status. Inter-strain differences dominated the methylation experiment with over 15,000 differently methylated CpGs. One gene, Me31b, was hypermethylated extensively in one strain and is a key regulator of embryonic expression. Sixty-one CpGs were differentially methylated between young and old individuals, including multiple CpGs within the histone H3 gene, which were hypermethylated in old individuals. Across all age-related CpGs, we identified a set that are highly correlated with chronological age. CONCLUSIONS Methylated cytosines are concentrated in early exons of gene sequences indicative of a directed, non-random, process despite the low overall DNA methylation percentage in this species. We identify no effect of caloric restriction on DNA methylation, contrary to our previous results, and established impacts of caloric restriction on phenotype and gene expression. We propose our approach here is more robust in invertebrates given genome-wide CpG distributions. For both strain and ageing, a single gene emerges as differentially methylated that for each factor could have widespread phenotypic effects. Our data showed the potential for an epigenetic clock at a subset of age positions, which is exciting but requires confirmation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Hearn
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Fiona Plenderleith
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Tom J. Little
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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26
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Laanen P, Saenen E, Mysara M, Van de Walle J, Van Hees M, Nauts R, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Voorspoels S, Jacobs G, Cuypers A, Horemans N. Changes in DNA Methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana Plants Exposed Over Multiple Generations to Gamma Radiation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:611783. [PMID: 33868326 PMCID: PMC8044457 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.611783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have found indications that exposure to ionising radiation (IR) results in DNA methylation changes in plants. However, this phenomenon is yet to be studied across multiple generations. Furthermore, the exact role of these changes in the IR-induced plant response is still far from understood. Here, we study the effect of gamma radiation on DNA methylation and its effect across generations in young Arabidopsis plants. A multigenerational set-up was used in which three generations (Parent, generation 1, and generation 2) of 7-day old Arabidopsis thaliana plants were exposed to either of the different radiation treatments (30, 60, 110, or 430 mGy/h) or to natural background radiation (control condition) for 14 days. The parental generation consisted of previously non-exposed plants, whereas generation 1 and generation 2 plants had already received a similar irradiation in the previous one or two generations, respectively. Directly after exposure the entire methylomes were analysed with UPLC-MS/MS to measure whole genome methylation levels. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing was used to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs), including their methylation context in the three generations and this for three different radiation conditions (control, 30 mGy/h, and 110 mGy/h). Both intra- and intergenerational comparisons of the genes and transposable elements associated with the DMRs were made. Taking the methylation context into account, the highest number of changes were found for cytosines followed directly by guanine (CG methylation), whereas only limited changes in CHG methylation occurred and no changes in CHH methylation were observed. A clear increase in IR-induced DMRs was seen over the three generations that were exposed to the lowest dose rate, where generation 2 had a markedly higher number of DMRs than the previous two generations (Parent and generation 1). Counterintuitively, we did not see significant differences in the plants exposed to the highest dose rate. A large number of DMRs associated with transposable elements were found, the majority of them being hypermethylated, likely leading to more genetic stability. Next to that, a significant number of DMRs were associated with genes (either in their promoter-associated region or gene body). A functional analysis of these genes showed an enrichment for genes related to development as well as various stress responses, including DNA repair, RNA splicing, and (a)biotic stress responses. These observations indicate a role of DNA methylation in the regulation of these genes in response to IR exposure and shows a possible role for epigenetics in plant adaptation to IR over multiple generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pol Laanen
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Research, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Eline Saenen
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Mohamed Mysara
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Jorden Van de Walle
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Research, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - May Van Hees
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Robin Nauts
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- NXTGNT, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Griet Jacobs
- Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek, VITO, Mol, Belgium
| | - Ann Cuypers
- Centre for Environmental Research, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Nele Horemans
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Research, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Nele Horemans,
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Gombeau K, Bonzom JM, Cavalié I, Camilleri V, Orjollet D, Dubourg N, Beaugelin-Seiller K, Bourdineaud JP, Lengagne T, Armant O, Ravanat JL, Adam-Guillermin C. Dose-dependent genomic DNA hypermethylation and mitochondrial DNA damage in Japanese tree frogs sampled in the Fukushima Daiichi area. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 225:106429. [PMID: 33059178 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The long-term consequences of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) that occurred on March 2011, have been scarcely studied on wildlife. We sampled Japanese tree frogs (Dryophytes japonicus), in a 50 -km area around the FDNPP to test for an increase of DNA damages and variation of DNA methylation level. The ambient dose rate ranged between 0.4 and 2.8 μGy h-1 and the total estimated dose rate absorbed by frogs ranged between 0.3 and 7.7 μGy h-1. Frogs from contaminated sites exhibited a dose-dependent increase of global genomic DNA methylation level (5-mdC and 5-hmdC) and of mitochondrial DNA damages. Such DNA damages may indicate a genomic instability, which may induce physiological adaptations governed by DNA methylation changes. This study stresses the need for biological data combining targeted molecular methods and classic ecotoxicology, in order to better understand the impacts on wildlife of long term exposure to low ionizing radiation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kewin Gombeau
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France; University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR5095 CNRS, Institute for Cellular Biochemistry and Genetics, 1 Rue Camille Saint Saëns, CS 61390, 33077, Bordeaux Cedex, France
| | - Jean-Marc Bonzom
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France
| | - Isabelle Cavalié
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France
| | - Virginie Camilleri
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France
| | - Daniel Orjollet
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LR2T, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France
| | - Nicolas Dubourg
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France
| | - Karine Beaugelin-Seiller
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France
| | - Jean-Paul Bourdineaud
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR MFP 5234, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33607, Pessac, France
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- Université de Lyon, UMR5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université Lyon 1, ENTPE, CNRS, 6 Rue Raphaël Dubois, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Olivier Armant
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France
| | - Jean-Luc Ravanat
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INAC-SCIB, 38000, Grenoble, France; CEA, INAC-SCIB Laboratoire des Lésions des Acides Nucléiques, 38000, Grenoble, France
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28
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Nguyen ND, Matsuura T, Kato Y, Watanabe H. Caloric restriction upregulates the expression ofDNMT3.1, lacking the conserved catalytic domain, inDaphnia magna. Genesis 2020; 58:e23396. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nhan Duc Nguyen
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University Osaka Japan
| | - Tomoaki Matsuura
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University Osaka Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Kato
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University Osaka Japan
- Frontier Research Base for Global Young Researchers, Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University Osaka Japan
| | - Hajime Watanabe
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University Osaka Japan
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29
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Thaulow J, Song Y, Lindeman LC, Kamstra JH, Lee Y, Xie L, Aleström P, Salbu B, Tollefsen KE. Epigenetic, transcriptional and phenotypic responses in Daphnia magna exposed to low-level ionizing radiation. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 190:109930. [PMID: 32738623 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ionizing radiation is known to induce oxidative stress and DNA damage as well as epigenetic effects in aquatic organisms. Epigenetic changes can be part of the adaptive responses to protect organisms from radiation-induced damage, or act as drivers of toxicity pathways leading to adverse effects. To investigate the potential roles of epigenetic mechanisms in low-dose ionizing radiation-induced stress responses, an ecologically relevant crustacean, adult Daphnia magna were chronically exposed to low and medium level external 60Co gamma radiation ranging from 0.4, 1, 4, 10, and 40 mGy/h for seven days. Biological effects at the molecular (global DNA methylation, histone modification, gene expression), cellular (reactive oxygen species formation), tissue/organ (ovary, gut and epidermal histology) and organismal (fecundity) levels were investigated using a suite of effect assessment tools. The results showed an increase in global DNA methylation associated with loci-specific alterations of histone H3K9 methylation and acetylation, and downregulation of genes involved in DNA methylation, one-carbon metabolism, antioxidant defense, DNA repair, apoptosis, calcium signaling and endocrine regulation of development and reproduction. Temporal changes of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were also observed with an apparent transition from ROS suppression to induction from 2 to 7 days after gamma exposure. The cumulative fecundity, however, was not significantly changed by the gamma exposure. On the basis of the new experimental evidence and existing knowledge, a hypothetical model was proposed to provide in-depth mechanistic understanding of the roles of epigenetic mechanisms in low dose ionizing radiation induced stress responses in D. magna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Thaulow
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - You Song
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway.
| | - Leif C Lindeman
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Jorke H Kamstra
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80177, NL-3508 TD, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - YeonKyeong Lee
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Faculty of BioSciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Li Xie
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Peter Aleström
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Brit Salbu
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
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30
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Lerebours A, Robson S, Sharpe C, Nagorskaya L, Gudkov D, Haynes-Lovatt C, Smith JT. Transcriptional Changes in the Ovaries of Perch from Chernobyl. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:10078-10087. [PMID: 32686935 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fish have been highly exposed to radiation in freshwater systems after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident in 1986 and in freshwater and marine systems after the more recent Fukushima NPP accident in 2011. In the years after the accident, the radioactivity levels rapidly declined due to radioactive decay and environmental processes, but chronic lower dose exposures persisted. To gain insights into the long-term effects of environmental low dose radiation on fish ovaries development, a high-throughput transcriptomic approach including a de novo assembly was applied to different gonad phenotypes of female perch: developed gonads from reference lakes, developed/irradiated from medium contaminated lake, and both developed/irradiated and undeveloped from more highly contaminated lakes. This is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the gene responses in wildlife reproductive system to radiation. Some gene responses that were modulated in irradiated gonads were found to be involved in biological processes including cell differentiation and proliferation (ggnb2, mod5, rergl), cytoskeleton organization (k1C18, mtpn), gonad development (nell2, tcp4), lipid metabolism (ldah, at11b, nltp), reproduction (cyb5, cyp17A, ovos), DNA damage repair (wdhd1, rad51, hus1), and epigenetic mechanisms (dmap1). Identification of these genes provides a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms underpinning the development of the gonad phenotypes of wild perch and how fish may respond to chronic exposure to radiation in their natural environment, though causal attribution of gene responses remains unclear in the undeveloped gonads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adélaïde Lerebours
- School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Robson
- Centre for Enzyme Innovation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Sharpe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, United Kingdom
| | - Liubov Nagorskaya
- Applied Science Center for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk 220072, Belarus
| | - Dmitri Gudkov
- Institute of Hydrobiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev UA-04210, Ukraine
| | | | - Jim T Smith
- School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, United Kingdom
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Song Y, Xie L, Lee Y, Brede DA, Lyne F, Kassaye Y, Thaulow J, Caldwell G, Salbu B, Tollefsen KE. Integrative assessment of low-dose gamma radiation effects on Daphnia magna reproduction: Toxicity pathway assembly and AOP development. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135912. [PMID: 31846819 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
High energy gamma radiation is potentially hazardous to organisms, including aquatic invertebrates. Although extensively studied in a number of invertebrate species, knowledge on effects induced by gamma radiation is to a large extent limited to the induction of oxidative stress and DNA damage at the molecular/cellular level, or survival, growth and reproduction at the organismal level. As the knowledge of causal relationships between effects occurring at different levels of biological organization is scarce, the ability to provide mechanistic explanation for observed adverse effects is limited, and thus development of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) and larger scale implementation into next generation hazard and risk predictions is restricted. The present study was therefore conducted to assess the effects of high-energy gamma radiation from cobalt-60 across multiple levels of biological organization (i.e., molecular, cellular, tissue, organ and individual) and characterize the major toxicity pathways leading to impaired reproduction in the model freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna (water flea). Following gamma exposure, a number of bioassays were integrated to measure relevant toxicological endpoints such as gene expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation (LPO), neutral lipid storage, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, apoptosis, ovary histology and reproduction. A non-monotonic pattern was consistently observed across the levels of biological organization, albeit with some variation at the lower end of the dose-rate scale, indicating a complex response to radiation doses. By integrating results from different bioassays, a novel pathway network describing the key toxicity pathways involved in the reproductive effects of gamma radiation were proposed, such as DNA damage-oocyte apoptosis pathway, LPO-ATP depletion pathway, calcium influx-endocrine disruption pathway and DNA hypermethylation pathway. Three novel AOPs were proposed for oxidative stressor-mediated excessive ROS formation leading to reproductive effect, and thus introducing the world's first AOPs for non-chemical stressors in aquatic invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Song
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 OSLO, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway.
| | - Li Xie
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 OSLO, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - YeonKyeong Lee
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Biosciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Dag Anders Brede
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Fern Lyne
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Yetneberk Kassaye
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Jens Thaulow
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 OSLO, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | | | - Brit Salbu
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 OSLO, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
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Jeremias G, Gonçalves FJM, Pereira JL, Asselman J. Prospects for incorporation of epigenetic biomarkers in human health and environmental risk assessment of chemicals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:822-846. [PMID: 32045110 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms have gained relevance in human health and environmental studies, due to their pivotal role in disease, gene × environment interactions and adaptation to environmental change and/or contamination. Epigenetic mechanisms are highly responsive to external stimuli and a wide range of chemicals has been shown to determine specific epigenetic patterns in several organisms. Furthermore, the mitotic/meiotic inheritance of such epigenetic marks as well as the resulting changes in gene expression and cell/organismal phenotypes has now been demonstrated. Therefore, epigenetic signatures are interesting candidates for linking environmental exposures to disease as well as informing on past exposures to stressors. Accordingly, epigenetic biomarkers could be useful tools in both prospective and retrospective risk assessment but epigenetic endpoints are currently not yet incorporated into risk assessments. Achieving a better understanding on this apparent impasse, as well as identifying routes to promote the application of epigenetic biomarkers within environmental risk assessment frameworks are the objectives of this review. We first compile evidence from human health studies supporting the use of epigenetic exposure-associated changes as reliable biomarkers of exposure. Then, specifically focusing on environmental science, we examine the potential and challenges of developing epigenetic biomarkers for environmental fields, and discuss useful organisms and appropriate sequencing techniques to foster their development in this context. Finally, we discuss the practical incorporation of epigenetic biomarkers in the environmental risk assessment of chemicals, highlighting critical data gaps and making key recommendations for future research within a regulatory context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Jeremias
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.,CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fernando J M Gonçalves
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.,CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana L Pereira
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.,CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Environmental Toxicology Unit - GhEnToxLab, Ghent University, 9000, Gent, Belgium
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Li Z, Yu Z, Cui C, Ai F, Yin D. Multi-generational obesogenic effects of sulfomethoxazole on Caenorhabditis elegans through epigenetic regulation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 382:121061. [PMID: 31470303 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing concerns are earned on the multigenerational hazards of antibiotics due to the connection between their mother-children transfer via cord blood and breast milk and obesity in the children. Currently, Caenorhabditis elegans was exposed to sulfamethoxazole (SMX) over 11 generations (F0-F10). Indicators of obesogenic effects and gene expressions were measured in each generation and also in T11 to T13 that were the offspring of F10. Biochemical analysis results showed that SMX stimulated fatty acids in most generations including T13. The stimulation was resulted from the balance between enzymes for fatty acid synthesis (e.g., fatty acid synthetase) and those for its consumption (e.g., fatty acid transport protein). Gene expression analysis demonstrated that the obesogenic effects of SMX involved peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs, e.g., nhr-49) and insulin/insulin-like signaling (IIS) pathways (e.g., ins-1, daf-2 and daf-16). Further epigenetic analysis demonstrated that SMX caused 3-fold more H3K4me3 binding genes than the control in F10 and T13. In F10, the most significantly activated genes were in metabolic and biosynthetic processes of various lipids, nervous system and development. The different gene expressions in T13 from those in F10 involved development, growth, reproduction and responses to chemicals in addition to metabolic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, 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
| | - Zhenyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, 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.
| | - Changzheng Cui
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Fangting Ai
- Jiaxing Tongji Institute for Environment, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, 3014051 PR China
| | - Daqiang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, 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
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Fuller N, Smith JT, Ford AT. Impacts of ionising radiation on sperm quality, DNA integrity and post-fertilisation development in marine and freshwater crustaceans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 186:109764. [PMID: 31610356 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Crustaceans have been designated as internationally important model organisms in the development of environmental radioprotection measures. Despite the known sensitivity of sperm to ionizing radiation, the impacts of chronic radiation exposure on male fertility in crustaceans have not been studied. For the first time, the present study aimed to assess the impacts of chronic radiation exposure on male fertility, sperm DNA damage and concomitant impacts on breeding in two amphipod crustaceans. Echinogammarus marinus and Gammarus pulex (male fertility only) were exposed to phosphorus-32 at dose rates of 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 mGy/d and sperm parameters, DNA damage and knock-on impacts on breeding were assessed. Sperm quality parameters and DNA damage were assessed using a fluorescent staining method and single cell gel electrophoresis respectively. Concomitant effects of male exposure to radiation on fecundity were determined by pairing phosphorus-32 exposed males to unexposed sexually mature females. In E. marinus, a statistically significant reduction of 9 and 11% in the quality of sperm was recorded at dose rates of 1 and 10 mGy/d respectively, with no significant effects recorded on sperm counts. Conversely in the freshwater G. pulex, no significant impact of radiation on sperm quantity or quality was recorded. For E. marinus, a statistically significant increase in DNA damage was recorded at doses of 10 mGy/d. Reduced fecundity and an increase in the frequency of abnormal embryos was recorded in female E. marinus breeding with males exposed to radiation. These findings suggest sperm quality may be a sensitive indicator of radiation exposure in invertebrates with potential impacts on the unexposed embryo, though unclear dose-response and differences between two closely related species necessitate further study before robust conclusions can be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Fuller
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO4 9LY, UK.
| | - Jim T Smith
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3QL, UK
| | - Alex T Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO4 9LY, UK.
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35
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Roy S, Kumar V, Bossier P, Norouzitallab P, Vanrompay D. Phloroglucinol Treatment Induces Transgenerational Epigenetic Inherited Resistance Against Vibrio Infections and Thermal Stress in a Brine Shrimp ( Artemia franciscana) Model. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2745. [PMID: 31827471 PMCID: PMC6890837 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging, infectious diseases in shrimp like acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus and mortality caused by other Vibrio species such as Vibrio harveyi are worldwide related to huge economic losses in industrial shrimp production. As a strategy to prevent disease outbreaks, a plant-based phenolic compound could be used as a biocontrol agent. Here, using the brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) as a model system, we showed that phloroglucinol treatment of the parental animals at early life stages resulted in transgenerational inherited increased resistance in their progeny against biotic stress, i.e., bacteria (V. parahaemolyticus AHPND strain and V. harveyi) and abiotic stress, i.e., lethal heat shock. Increased resistance was recorded in three subsequent generations. Innate immune-related gene expression profiles and potential epigenetic mechanisms were studied to discover the underlying protective mechanisms. Our results showed that phloroglucinol treatment of the brine shrimp parents significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the expression of a core set of innate immune genes (DSCAM, proPO, PXN, HSP90, HSP70, and LGBP) in subsequent generations. We also demonstrated that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, m6A RNA methylation, and histone acetylation and methylation (active chromatin marker i.e., H3K4Me3, H3K4me1, H3K27me1, H3 hyperacetylation, H3K14ac and repression marker, i.e., H3K27me3, H4 hypoacetylation) might play a role in regulation of gene expression leading toward the observed transgenerational inheritance of the resistant brine shrimp progenies. To our knowledge, this is the first report on transgenerational inheritance of a compound-induced robust protected phenotype in brine shrimp, particularly protected against AHPND caused by V. parahaemolyticus and vibriosis caused by V. harveyi. Results showed that epigenetic reprogramming is likely to play a role in the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvra Roy
- Laboratory of Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, India
| | - Vikash Kumar
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, India
| | - Peter Bossier
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Parisa Norouzitallab
- Laboratory of Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daisy Vanrompay
- Laboratory of Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Liberman N, Wang SY, Greer EL. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: from phenomena to molecular mechanisms. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 59:189-206. [PMID: 31634674 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Inherited information not encoded in the DNA sequence can regulate a variety of complex phenotypes. However, how this epigenetic information escapes the typical epigenetic erasure that occurs upon fertilization and how it regulates behavior is still unclear. Here we review recent examples of brain related transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and delineate potential molecular mechanisms that could regulate how non-genetic information could be transmitted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Liberman
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Simon Yuan Wang
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Eric Lieberman Greer
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115, USA.
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37
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Chen L, Tsui MMP, Hu C, Wan T, Au DWT, Lam JCW, Lam PKS, Zhou B. Parental Exposure to Perfluorobutanesulfonate Impairs Offspring Development through Inheritance of Paternal Methylome. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:12018-12025. [PMID: 31539238 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b03865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS), an environmental pollutant of emerging concern, significantly impairs offspring development and overall health after parental exposure. However, the true inducer of offspring developmental defects among the complexity of parental influences remains unknown. In the present study, marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of PFBS (0, 1, 3, and 10 μg/L) for an entire life cycle. By mixing and mating control and exposed medaka (male or female), a crossbreeding strategy was employed to produce offspring eggs from various crossbreeds, with the aim of differentiating the maternal and paternal influences. Measurements of swimming performance in larval offspring showed that larvae of exposed male parents swam hyperactively in comparison to the control larvae. Contrasting trends in PFBS transfer and maternal factor transfer (e.g., proteins and lipids) to that of swimming behavior eliminated these two factors as major inducers of offspring developmental impairment. Inheritance of the exposed paternal methylome marks in offspring may be partially responsible for abnormal swimming behavior, although different toxic mechanisms may be involved depending on the exposure concentration. Overall, these findings suggest that inheritance of epigenetic modifications implicates a long-lasting threat of PFBS to the fitness and sustainability of fish populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianguo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology , Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430072 , People's Republic of China
| | - Mirabelle M P Tsui
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution , City University of Hong Kong , Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR , People's Republic of China
| | - Chenyan Hu
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering , Wuhan Institute of Technology , Wuhan 430072 , People's Republic of China
| | - Teng Wan
- Department of Chemistry , City University of Hong Kong , Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR , People's Republic of China
| | - Doris W T Au
- Department of Chemistry , City University of Hong Kong , Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR , People's Republic of China
| | - James C W Lam
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution , City University of Hong Kong , Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR , People's Republic of China
- Department of Science and Environmental Studies , The Education University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR People's Republic of China
| | - Paul K S Lam
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution , City University of Hong Kong , Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR , People's Republic of China
- Department of Chemistry , City University of Hong Kong , Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR , People's Republic of China
| | - Bingsheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology , Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430072 , People's Republic of China
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38
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Horemans N, Spurgeon DJ, Lecomte-Pradines C, Saenen E, Bradshaw C, Oughton D, Rasnaca I, Kamstra JH, Adam-Guillermin C. Current evidence for a role of epigenetic mechanisms in response to ionizing radiation in an ecotoxicological context. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 251:469-483. [PMID: 31103007 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The issue of potential long-term or hereditary effects for both humans and wildlife exposed to low doses (or dose rates) of ionising radiation is a major concern. Chronic exposure to ionising radiation, defined as an exposure over a large fraction of the organism's lifespan or even over several generations, can possibly have consequences in the progeny. Recent work has begun to show that epigenetics plays an important role in adaptation of organisms challenged to environmental stimulae. Changes to so-called epigenetic marks such as histone modifications, DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs result in altered transcriptomes and proteomes, without directly changing the DNA sequence. Moreover, some of these environmentally-induced epigenetic changes tend to persist over generations, and thus, epigenetic modifications are regarded as the conduits for environmental influence on the genome. Here, we review the current knowledge of possible involvement of epigenetics in the cascade of responses resulting from environmental exposure to ionising radiation. In addition, from a comparison of lab and field obtained data, we investigate evidence on radiation-induced changes in the epigenome and in particular the total or locus specific levels of DNA methylation. The challenges for future research and possible use of changes as an early warning (biomarker) of radiosensitivity and individual exposure is discussed. Such a biomarker could be used to detect and better understand the mechanisms of toxic action and inter/intra-species susceptibility to radiation within an environmental risk assessment and management context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele Horemans
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, B-2400, Mol, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Research, University of Hasselt, Agoralaan, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
| | - David J Spurgeon
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Catherine Lecomte-Pradines
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Eline Saenen
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, B-2400, Mol, Belgium
| | - Clare Bradshaw
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Deborah Oughton
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1430, Aas, Norway
| | - Ilze Rasnaca
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Jorke H Kamstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Christelle Adam-Guillermin
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PSE-SANTE, Cadarache, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
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Lindeman LC, Thaulow J, Song Y, Kamstra JH, Xie L, Asselman J, Aleström P, Tollefsen KE. Epigenetic, transcriptional and phenotypic responses in two generations of Daphnia magna exposed to the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2019; 5:dvz016. [PMID: 31528364 PMCID: PMC6736351 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The water flea Daphnia magna is a keystone species in freshwater ecosystems and has been widely used as a model organism in environmental ecotoxicology. This aquatic crustacean is sensitive to environmental stressors and displays considerable plasticity in adapting to changing environmental conditions. Part of this plasticity may be due to epigenetic regulation of gene expression, including changes to DNA methylation and histone modifications. Because of the generally hypomethylated genome of this species, we hypothesized that the histone code may have an essential role in the epigenetic control and that histone modifications might be an early marker for stress. This study aims to characterize the epigenetic, transcriptional and phenotypic responses and their causal linkages in directly exposed adult (F0) Daphnia and peritoneal exposed neonates (F1) after a chronic (7-day) exposure to a sublethal concentration (10 mg/l) of 5-azacytidine, a well-studied vertebrate DNA methylation inhibitor. Exposure of the F0 generation significantly reduced the cumulative fecundity, accompanied with differential expression of genes in the one-carbon-cycle metabolic pathway. In the epigenome of the F0 generation, a decrease in global DNA methylation, but no significant changes on H3K4me3 or H3K27me3, were observed. In the F1 offspring generation, changes in gene expression, a significant reduction in global DNA methylation and changes in histone modifications were identified. The results indicate that exposure during adulthood may result in more pronounced effects on early development in the offspring generation, though interpretation of the data should be carefully done since both the exposure regime and developmental period is different in the two generations examined. The obtained results improve our understanding of crustacean epigenetics and the tools developed may promote use of epigenetic markers in hazard assessment of environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif Christopher Lindeman
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 1432 Ås, Norway
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Correspondence address. Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 1432 Ås, Norway. Tel: +47 67232039; Fax: +47 67230691; E-mail:
| | - Jens Thaulow
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - You Song
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jorke H Kamstra
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, N-0454 Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Li Xie
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory for Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology (GhEnToxLab), Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Aleström
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, N-0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 1432 Ås, Norway
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
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40
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Nikinmaa M, Suominen E, Anttila K. Water-soluble fraction of crude oil affects variability and has transgenerational effects in Daphnia magna. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 211:137-140. [PMID: 30978588 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.04.004] [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: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The importance of interindividual variability in environmental responses has been little studied, although the available information suggests that, e.g., changes in environmental temperature may be associated with changes in variability. We studied, if exposure to water-soluble fraction (WSF) of crude oil can be associated with changes in interindividual variability in phenotype in Daphnia magna, which reproduces parthenogenetically. By using these clonal organisms, we could exclude the possibility that the observed changes were caused by genetic variability. The results show that the variability of oxygen consumption rate decreased in 48 h 30% WSF-exposed animals as compared to 10% WSF-exposed or control animals without a change in the mean of oxygen consumption rate. The clonal Daphnia magna could also be used to study transgenerational effects without genetic contribution, as the different generations are genetically identical. We observed that the oxygen consumption rates in F1 and F2 generations of unexposed and 10% WSF-exposed Daphnia had decreased from parental F0 generation and were also lower than in offspring of 30% WSF-exposed specimens. The studies did not aim at environmental realism but were designed to show the possibility of variability changes without changes in the mean value of a parameter, and transgenerational effects as a result of environmental contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikko Nikinmaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland.
| | - Emilie Suominen
- Department of Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Turku, Finland.
| | - Katja Anttila
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland.
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de Vocht F, Suderman M, Ruano-Ravina A, Thomas R, Wakeford R, Relton C, Tilling K, Boyd A. Residential exposure to radon and DNA methylation across the lifecourse: an exploratory study in the ALSPAC birth cohort. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:3. [PMID: 30906879 PMCID: PMC6426102 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14991.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Radon (and its decay products) is a known human carcinogen and the leading cause of lung cancer in never-smokers and the second in ever-smokers. The carcinogenic mechanism from radiation is a combination of genetic and epigenetic processes, but compared to the genetic mechanisms, epigenetic processes remain understudied in humans. This study aimed to explore associations between residential radon exposure and DNA methylation in the general population. Methods: Potential residential radon exposure for 75-metre area buffers was linked to genome-wide DNA methylation measured in peripheral blood from children and mothers of the Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies subsample of the ALSPAC birth cohort. Associations with DNA methylation were tested at over 450,000 CpG sites at ages 0, 7 and 17 years (children) and antenatally and during middle-age (mothers). Analyses were adjusted for potential residential and lifestyle confounding factors and were determined for participants with complete data (n = 786 to 980). Results: Average potential exposure to radon was associated in an exposure-dependent manner with methylation at cg25422346 in mothers during pregnancy, with no associations at middle age. For children, radon potential exposure was associated in an exposure-dependent manner with methylation of cg16451995 at birth, cg01864468 at age 7, and cg04912984, cg16105117, cg23988964, cg04945076, cg08601898, cg16260355 and cg26056703 in adolescence. Conclusions: Residential radon exposure was associated with DNA methylation in an exposure-dependent manner. Although chance and residual confounding cannot be excluded, the identified associations may show biological mechanisms involved in early biological effects from radon exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank de Vocht
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Matthew Suderman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Richard Thomas
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard Wakeford
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Caroline Relton
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kate Tilling
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andy Boyd
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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42
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Hearn J, Pearson M, Blaxter M, Wilson PJ, Little TJ. Genome-wide methylation is modified by caloric restriction in Daphnia magna. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:197. [PMID: 30849937 PMCID: PMC6408862 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5578-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The degradation of epigenetic control with age is associated with progressive diseases of ageing, including cancers, immunodeficiency and diabetes. Reduced caloric intake slows the effects of ageing and age-related disease in vertebrates and invertebrates, a process potentially mediated by the impact of caloric restriction on epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation. We used whole genome bisulphite sequencing to study how DNA methylation patterns change with diet in a small invertebrate, the crustacean Daphnia magna. Daphnia show the classic response of longer life under caloric restriction (CR), and they reproduce clonally, which permits the study of epigenetic changes in the absence of genetic variation. RESULTS Global cytosine followed by guanine (CpG) methylation was 0.7-0.9%, and there was no difference in overall methylation levels between normal and calorie restricted replicates. However, 333 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were evident between the normally fed and CR replicates post-filtering. Of these 65% were hypomethylated in the CR group, and 35% were hypermethylated in the CR group. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate an effect of CR on the genome-wide methylation profile. This adds to a growing body of research in Daphnia magna that demonstrate an epigenomic response to environmental stimuli. Specifically, gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment of genes associated with hyper and hypo-methylated DMRs showed significant enrichment for methylation and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity, which are linked to current understanding of their roles in CR in invertebrate model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Hearn
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marianne Pearson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark Blaxter
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Philip J. Wilson
- School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure & Environment, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tom J. Little
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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43
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Kamstra JH, Hurem S, Martin LM, Lindeman LC, Legler J, Oughton D, Salbu B, Brede DA, Lyche JL, Aleström P. Ionizing radiation induces transgenerational effects of DNA methylation in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15373. [PMID: 30337673 PMCID: PMC6193964 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33817-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation is known to cause DNA damage, yet the mechanisms underlying potential transgenerational effects of exposure have been scarcely studied. Previously, we observed effects in offspring of zebrafish exposed to gamma radiation during gametogenesis. Here, we hypothesize that these effects are accompanied by changes of DNA methylation possibly inherited by subsequent generations. We assessed DNA methylation in F1 embryos (5.5 hours post fertilization) with whole genome bisulfite sequencing following parental exposure to 8.7 mGy/h for 27 days and found 5658 differentially methylated regions (DMRs). DMRs were predominantly located at known regulatory regions, such as gene promoters and enhancers. Pathway analysis indicated the involvement of DMRs related to similar pathways found with gene expression analysis, such as development, apoptosis and cancers, which could be linked to previous observed developmental defects and genomic instability in the offspring. Follow up of 19 F1 DMRs in F2 and F3 embryos revealed persistent effects up to the F3 generation at 5 regions. These results indicate that ionizing radiation related effects in offspring can be linked to DNA methylation changes that partly can persist over generations. Monitoring DNA methylation could serve as a biomarker to provide an indication of ancestral exposures to ionizing radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorke H Kamstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Selma Hurem
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033, Oslo, Norway
| | - Leonardo Martin Martin
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033, Oslo, Norway.,University of Camagüey, Faculty of Agropecuary Sciences, Camagüey, 70100, Cuba
| | - Leif C Lindeman
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033, Oslo, Norway.,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Ås, Norway
| | - Juliette Legler
- Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.,Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, 3508, TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Deborah Oughton
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Ås, Norway
| | - Brit Salbu
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Ås, Norway
| | - Dag Anders Brede
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Ås, Norway
| | - Jan Ludvig Lyche
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033, Oslo, Norway
| | - Peter Aleström
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033, Oslo, Norway
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44
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Jeremias G, Barbosa J, Marques SM, De Schamphelaere KAC, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Deforce D, Gonçalves FJM, Pereira JL, Asselman J. Transgenerational Inheritance of DNA Hypomethylation in Daphnia magna in Response to Salinity Stress. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:10114-10123. [PMID: 30113818 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b03225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms have been found to play important roles in environmental stress response and regulation. These can, theoretically, be transmitted to future unexposed generations, yet few studies have shown persisting stress-induced transgenerational effects, particularly in invertebrates. Here, we focus on the aquatic microcrustacean Daphnia, a parthenogenetic model species, and its response to salinity stress. Salinity is a serious threat to freshwater ecosystems and a relevant form of environmental perturbation affecting freshwater ecosystems. We exposed one generation of D. magna to high levels of salinity (F0) and found that the exposure provoked specific methylation patterns that were transferred to the three consequent nonexposed generations (F1, F2, and F3). This was the case for the hypomethylation of six protein-coding genes with important roles in the organisms' response to environmental change: DNA damage repair, cytoskeleton organization, and protein synthesis. This suggests that epigenetic changes in Daphnia are particularly targeted to genes involved in coping with general cellular stress responses. Our results highlight that epigenetic marks are affected by environmental stressors and can be transferred to subsequent unexposed generations. Epigenetic marks could therefore prove to be useful indicators of past or historic pollution in this parthenogenetic model system. Furthermore, no life history costs seem to be associated with the maintenance of hypomethylation across unexposed generations in Daphnia following a single stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Jeremias
- Department of Biology , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
| | - João Barbosa
- Department of Biology , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
| | - Sérgio M Marques
- Department of Biology , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
- CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies) , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
| | - Karel A C De Schamphelaere
- Laboratory for Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology (GhEnToxLab) , Ghent University , 9000 , Ghent , Belgium
| | | | - Dieter Deforce
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology , Ghent University , 9000 , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Fernando J M Gonçalves
- Department of Biology , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
- CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies) , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
| | - Joana Luísa Pereira
- Department of Biology , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
- CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies) , University of Aveiro , 3810-193 , Aveiro , Portugal
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory for Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology (GhEnToxLab) , Ghent University , 9000 , Ghent , Belgium
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45
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Chatterjee N, Gim J, Choi J. Epigenetic profiling to environmental stressors in model and non-model organisms: Ecotoxicology perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY 2018; 33:e2018015-0. [PMID: 30286591 PMCID: PMC6182246 DOI: 10.5620/eht.e2018015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics, potentially heritable changes in genome function that occur without alterations to DNA sequence, is an important but understudied component of ecotoxicology studies. A wide spectrum of environmental challenge, such as temperature, stress, diet, toxic chemicals, are known to impact on epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. Although the role of epigenetic factors in certain biological processes, such as tumourigenesis, has been heavily investigated, in ecotoxicology field, epigenetics still have attracted little attention. In ecotoxicology, potential role of epigenetics in multi- and transgenerational phenomenon to environmental stressors needs to be unrevealed. Natural variation in the epigenetic profiles of species in responses to environmental stressors, nature of dose-response relationships for epigenetic effects, and how to incorporate this information into ecological risk assessment should also require attentions. In this review, we presented the available information on epigenetics in ecotoxicological context. For this, we have conducted a systemic review on epigenetic profiling in response to environmental stressors, mostly chemical exposure, in model organisms, as well as, in ecotoxicologically relevant wildlife species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivedita Chatterjee
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, 163 Seoulsiripdaero, Dondaemun-gu, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwan Gim
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, 163 Seoulsiripdaero, Dondaemun-gu, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhee Choi
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, 163 Seoulsiripdaero, Dondaemun-gu, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
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