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Essig YJ, Leszczyszyn OI, Almutairi N, Harrison-Smith A, Blease A, Zeitoun-Ghandour S, Webb SM, Blindauer CA, Stürzenbaum SR. Juggling cadmium detoxification and zinc homeostasis: A division of labour between the two C. elegans metallothioneins. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 350:141021. [PMID: 38151062 PMCID: PMC11134313 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.141021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
The chemical properties of toxic cadmium and essential zinc are very similar, and organisms require intricate mechanisms that drive selective handling of metals. Previously regarded as unspecific "metal sponges", metallothioneins (MTLs) are emerging as metal selectivity filters. By utilizing C. elegans mtl-1 and mtl-2 knockout strains, metal accumulation in single worms, single copy fluorescent-tagged transgenes, isoform specific qPCR and lifespan studies it was possible to demonstrate that the handling of cadmium and zinc by the two C. elegans metallothioneins differs fundamentally: the MTL-2 protein can handle both zinc and cadmium, but when it becomes unavailable, either via a knockout or by elevated cadmium exposure, MTL-1 takes over zinc handling, leaving MTL-2 to sequester cadmium. This division of labour is reflected in the folding behaviour of the proteins: MTL-1 folded well in presence of zinc but not cadmium, the reverse was the case for MTL-2. These differences are in part mediated by a zinc-specific mononuclear His3Cys site in the C-terminal insertion of MTL-1; its removal affected the entire C-terminal domain and may shift its metal selectivity towards zinc. Overall, we uncover how metallothionein isoform-specific responses and protein properties allow C. elegans to differentiate between toxic cadmium and essential zinc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yona J Essig
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Oksana I Leszczyszyn
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Norah Almutairi
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Alix Blease
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Sam M Webb
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | | | - Stephen R Stürzenbaum
- Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences Department, King's College London, London, UK.
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2
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Burns AR, Baker RJ, Kitner M, Knox J, Cooke B, Volpatti JR, Vaidya AS, Puumala E, Palmeira BM, Redman EM, Snider J, Marwah S, Chung SW, MacDonald MH, Tiefenbach J, Hu C, Xiao Q, Finney CAM, Krause HM, MacParland SA, Stagljar I, Gilleard JS, Cowen LE, Meyer SLF, Cutler SR, Dowling JJ, Lautens M, Zasada I, Roy PJ. Selective control of parasitic nematodes using bioactivated nematicides. Nature 2023:10.1038/s41586-023-06105-5. [PMID: 37225985 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06105-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes are a major threat to global food security, particularly as the world amasses 10 billion people amid limited arable land1-4. Most traditional nematicides have been banned owing to poor nematode selectivity, leaving farmers with inadequate means of pest control4-12. Here we use the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to identify a family of selective imidazothiazole nematicides, called selectivins, that undergo cytochrome-p450-mediated bioactivation in nematodes. At low parts-per-million concentrations, selectivins perform comparably well with commercial nematicides to control root infection by Meloidogyne incognita, a highly destructive plant-parasitic nematode. Tests against numerous phylogenetically diverse non-target systems demonstrate that selectivins are more nematode-selective than most marketed nematicides. Selectivins are first-in-class bioactivated nematode controls that provide efficacy and nematode selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Burns
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Rachel J Baker
- Davenport Research Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megan Kitner
- USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jessica Knox
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brittany Cooke
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan R Volpatti
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neurology and Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aditya S Vaidya
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Emily Puumala
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bruna M Palmeira
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Host-Parasite Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elizabeth M Redman
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Host-Parasite Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jamie Snider
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sagar Marwah
- Ajmera Transplant Centre, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sai W Chung
- Ajmera Transplant Centre, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margaret H MacDonald
- USDA-ARS Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Jens Tiefenbach
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chun Hu
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qi Xiao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Host Parasite Interactions Program, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Constance A M Finney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Host Parasite Interactions Program, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Henry M Krause
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sonya A MacParland
- Ajmera Transplant Centre, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Igor Stagljar
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, Split, Croatia
| | - John S Gilleard
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Host-Parasite Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan L F Meyer
- USDA-ARS Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Sean R Cutler
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - James J Dowling
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neurology and Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Lautens
- Davenport Research Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Inga Zasada
- USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Peter J Roy
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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3
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Cadmium hijacks the high zinc response by binding and activating the HIZR-1 nuclear receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022649118. [PMID: 34649987 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022649118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cadmium is an environmental pollutant and significant health hazard that is similar to the physiological metal zinc. In Caenorhabditis elegans, high zinc homeostasis is regulated by the high zinc activated nuclear receptor (HIZR-1) transcription factor. To define relationships between the responses to high zinc and cadmium, we analyzed transcription. Many genes were activated by both high zinc and cadmium, and hizr-1 was necessary for activation of a subset of these genes; in addition, many genes activated by cadmium did not require hizr-1, indicating there are at least two mechanisms of cadmium-regulated transcription. Cadmium directly bound HIZR-1, promoted nuclear accumulation of HIZR-1 in intestinal cells, and activated HIZR-1-mediated transcription via the high zinc activation (HZA) enhancer. Thus, cadmium binding promotes HIZR-1 activity, indicating that cadmium acts as a zinc mimetic to hijack the high zinc response. To elucidate the relationships between high zinc and cadmium detoxification, we analyzed genes that function in three pathways: the pcs-1/phytochelatin pathway strongly promoted cadmium resistance but not high zinc resistance, the hizr-1/HZA pathway strongly promoted high zinc resistance but not cadmium resistance, and the mek-1/sek-1/kinase signaling pathway promoted resistance to high zinc and cadmium. These studies identify resistance pathways that are specific for high zinc and cadmium, as well as a shared pathway.
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Jaskulak M, Rorat A, Kurianska-Piatek L, Hofman S, Bigaj J, Vandenbulcke F, Plytycz B. Species-specific Cd-detoxification mechanisms in lumbricid earthworms Eisenia andrei, Eisenia fetida and their hybrids. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 208:111425. [PMID: 33068978 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Hermaphroditic lumbricid Eisenia sp. earthworms are ubiquitous and highly resistant to a variety of environmental stressors, including heavy metals. Among the progeny of laboratory mated inter-specific pairs of Eisenia fetida (Ea) and Eisenia andrei (Ef) there are fertile Ha hybrids derived from Ea ova fertilized by Ef spermatozoa and very rare sterile Hf hybrids from Ef ova fertilized by Ea spermatozoa. The aim of the first part of the experiment was to compare the life traits and whole body accumulation of cadmium in adult earthworms from genetically defined Ea, Ef and their hybrids (Ha) exposed for four weeks to commercial soil either unpolluted (control) or cadmium-spiked leading to moderate (M) or high (H) soil pollution (M = 425 and H = 835 mg kg-1 dry soil weight). Such exposure impaired cocoon production but not affected earthworm viability despite the massive Cd bioaccumulation in the whole earthworm bodies reaching at M and H groups 316-454, 203-338, 114-253, and 377-309 mg kg-1 dry body weights of Ea, Ef1, Ef2, and Ha, respectively, surprisingly reaching maximum accumulation quantities in hybrids. The second part of the experiment aimed to investigate cadmium-related defense mechanisms at transcriptomic level in coelomocytes non-invasively extruded from coelomic cavities of the new sets of Ea, Ef, Ha, and Hf earthworms exposed to Cd in microcosms for 0 days (control), 2 days, and 7 days (M = 425 mg kg-1). Expression level of stress-induced Cd-metallothionein (mt) and superoxide dismutase (sod) were gradually up-regulated, while the immune-connected lysenin (lys) was rapidly down-regulated; the expression of glutathione S-transferase (gst) and phytochelatin synthase (pcs) remained unaffected. Mt and sod gene up-regulation and lys gene down-regulation were especially pronounced in Ea-derived hybrids. In sum, capacity of cadmium bioaccumulation and detoxification mechanisms is more efficient in interspecific hybrids than in the pure Ea and Ef species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Jaskulak
- Univ. Lille, IMT Lille Douai, Univ. Artois, Yncrea Hauts-de-France, ULR4515 - LGCgE, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France; Institute of Environmental Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Rorat
- Univ. Lille, IMT Lille Douai, Univ. Artois, Yncrea Hauts-de-France, ULR4515 - LGCgE, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | | | - Sebastian Hofman
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, and Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Janusz Bigaj
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, and Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Franck Vandenbulcke
- Univ. Lille, IMT Lille Douai, Univ. Artois, Yncrea Hauts-de-France, ULR4515 - LGCgE, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Barbara Plytycz
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, and Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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5
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Earley BJ, Mendoza AD, Tan CH, Kornfeld K. Zinc homeostasis and signaling in the roundworm C. elegans. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1868:118882. [PMID: 33017595 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
C. elegans is a powerful model for studies of zinc biology. Here we review recent discoveries and emphasize the advantages of this model organism. Methods for manipulating and measuring zinc levels have been developed in or adapted to the worm. The C. elegans genome encodes highly conserved zinc transporters, and their expression and function are beginning to be characterized. Homeostatic mechanisms have evolved to respond to high and low zinc conditions. The pathway for high zinc homeostasis has been recently elucidated based on the discovery of the master regulator of high zinc homeostasis, HIZR-1. A parallel pathway for low zinc homeostasis is beginning to emerge based on the discovery of the Low Zinc Activation promoter element. Zinc has been established to play a role in two cell fate determination events, and accumulating evidence suggests zinc may function as a second messenger signaling molecule during vulval cell development and sperm activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Earley
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Adelita D Mendoza
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Chieh-Hsiang Tan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, United States of America
| | - Kerry Kornfeld
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America.
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6
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Pimentel-Acosta CA, Ramírez-Salcedo J, Morales-Serna FN, Fajer-Ávila EJ, Chávez-Sánchez C, Lara HH, García-Gasca A. Molecular Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Monogenean Parasites: Lessons from Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165889. [PMID: 32824343 PMCID: PMC7460582 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms of action of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in monogenean parasites of the genus Cichlidogyrus were investigated through a microarray hybridization approach using genomic information from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The effects of two concentrations of AgNPs were explored, low (6 µg/L Ag) and high (36 µg/L Ag). Microarray analysis revealed that both concentrations of AgNPs activated similar biological processes, although by different mechanisms. Expression profiles included genes involved in detoxification, neurotoxicity, modulation of cell signaling, reproduction, embryonic development, and tegument organization as the main biological processes dysregulated by AgNPs. Two important processes (DNA damage and cell death) were mostly activated in parasites exposed to the lower concentration of AgNPs. To our knowledge, this is the first study providing information on the sub-cellular and molecular effects of exposure to AgNPs in metazoan parasites of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Citlalic A. Pimentel-Acosta
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Unidad Mazatlán en Acuicultura y Manejo Ambiental, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82112, Mexico; (C.A.P.-A.); (F.N.M.-S.); (E.J.F.-Á.); (C.C.-S.)
| | - Jorge Ramírez-Salcedo
- Unidad de Microarreglos, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, Mexico City 04510, Mexico;
| | - Francisco Neptalí Morales-Serna
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Unidad Mazatlán en Acuicultura y Manejo Ambiental, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82112, Mexico; (C.A.P.-A.); (F.N.M.-S.); (E.J.F.-Á.); (C.C.-S.)
- CONACYT, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Unidad Mazatlán en Acuicultura y Manejo Ambiental, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82112, Mexico
| | - Emma J. Fajer-Ávila
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Unidad Mazatlán en Acuicultura y Manejo Ambiental, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82112, Mexico; (C.A.P.-A.); (F.N.M.-S.); (E.J.F.-Á.); (C.C.-S.)
| | - Cristina Chávez-Sánchez
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Unidad Mazatlán en Acuicultura y Manejo Ambiental, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82112, Mexico; (C.A.P.-A.); (F.N.M.-S.); (E.J.F.-Á.); (C.C.-S.)
| | - Humberto H. Lara
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA;
| | - Alejandra García-Gasca
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Unidad Mazatlán en Acuicultura y Manejo Ambiental, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82112, Mexico; (C.A.P.-A.); (F.N.M.-S.); (E.J.F.-Á.); (C.C.-S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-66-9989-8700
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7
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De la Parra-Guerra A, Stürzenbaum S, Olivero-Verbel J. Intergenerational toxicity of nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP-9) in Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 197:110588. [PMID: 32289633 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110588] [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: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The ethoxylated isomers of nonylphenol (NPEs, NP-9) are one of the main active ingredients present in nonionic surfactants employed as herbicides, cosmetics, paints, plastics, disinfectants and detergents. These chemicals and their metabolites are commonly found in environmental matrices. The aim of this work was to evaluate the intergenerational toxicity of NP-9 in Caenorhabditis elegans. The lethality, length, width, locomotion and lifespan were investigated in the larval stage L4 of the wild strain N2. Transgenic green fluorescent protein (GFP) strains were employed to estimate changes in relative gene expression. RT-qPCR was utilized to measure mRNA expression for neurotoxicity-related genes (unc-30, unc-25, dop-3, dat-1, mgl-1, and eat-4). Data were obtained from parent worms (P0) and the first generation (F1). Lethality of the nematode was concentration-dependent, with 48 h-LC50 values of 3215 and 1983 μM in P0 and F1, respectively. Non-lethal concentrations of NP-9 reduced locomotion. Lifespan was also decreased by the xenobiotic, but the negative effect was greater in P0 than in F1. Non-monotonic concentration-response curves were observed for body length and width in both generations. The gene expression profile in P0 was different from that registered in F1, although the expression of sod-4, hsp-70, gpx-6 and mtl-2 increased with the surfactant concentration in both generations. None of the tested genes followed a classical concentration-neurotoxicity relationship. In P0, dopamine presented an inverted-U curve, while GABA and glutamate displayed a bimodal type. However, in F1, inverted U-shaped curves were revealed for these genes. In summary, NP-9 induced intergenerational responses in C. elegans through mechanisms involving ROS, and alterations of the GABA, glutamate, and dopamine pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana De la Parra-Guerra
- Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia.
| | - Stephen Stürzenbaum
- School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Science & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Jesus Olivero-Verbel
- Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia.
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8
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Yazdi M, Kolahi M, Mohajel Kazemi E, Goldson Barnaby A. Study of the contamination rate and change in growth features of lettuce (Lactuca sativa Linn.) in response to cadmium and a survey of its phytochelatin synthase gene. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 180:295-308. [PMID: 31100594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.04.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Crops can become contaminated when grown in soils containing heavy metals. Cadmium is a heavy metal that poses a significant health risk to humans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cadmium on lettuce (Lactuca sativa Linn) and the contamination risk of lettuce grown in cadmium environments. The results showed that photosynthesis and growth parameters were significantly affected by cadmium. Lettuce has the ability to absorb large amounts of cadmium from the contaminated environment and so is a cadmium hyperaccumulator plant. The study showed that approximately 35% of the total absorbed cadmium is transmitted to aerial and edible parts of lettuce. This study was undertaken as lettuce has the ability to absorb and accumulate high levels of cadmium. There are however are no reports on the PCS gene and the potential for high cadmium accumulation in lettuce. The bioinformatics study revealed that lettuce has two phytochelatin synthase genes that produce 6 PCSs through splicing leading to the ability of lettuce to store high levels of cadmium. These six sequences although different in length have high similarity. Sequence structure, cellular location, three-dimensional structure, phylogeny and a comparison of their catalytic power were evaluated. The high accumulation of cadmium in lettuce and the presence of several PCSs contribute to the accumulation of cadmium in aerial tissues. The cultivation of lettuce in contaminated environments led us to evaluate suspected farms for the presence of cadmium in produce. Lettuce grown in industrial environments contaminated with cadmium can pose a serious threat to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Yazdi
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - M Kolahi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
| | - E Mohajel Kazemi
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - A Goldson Barnaby
- Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
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9
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Chaudhuri P, Imam HT, Essig Y, Krasauskas J, Webb SM, Blindauer CA, Stürzenbaum SR. Molecular genetic and biochemical characterization of a putative family of zinc metalloproteins in Caenorhabditis elegans. Metallomics 2019; 10:1814-1823. [PMID: 30444224 PMCID: PMC6336089 DOI: 10.1039/c8mt00169c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The first characterization of W08E12.2, W08E12.3, W08E12.4 and W08E12.5, four putative metalloproteins in C. elegans. (A) phase contrast microscopy, (B) fluorescence microscopy of PW08E12.3;W08E12.4::GFP.
Four highly similar genes (W08E12.2, W08E12.3, W08E12.4 and W08E12.5) which are consecutively aligned on chromosome IV of the C. elegans genome are predicted to code for small (120–141aa) yet cysteine rich (18–19 cysteines) proteins. Cloning and sequencing of the genomic regions of the isoforms confirmed the presence and order of all genes. The generation of transgenic worms strains with an integrated single copy or extrachromosomal multi-copy PW08E12.3;W08E12.4::GFP uncovered that W08E12.3 and W08E12.4 are constitutively expressed in the pharynx and significantly induced in worms exposed to 100 μM Zn. Knockdown by RNAi did not have a marked consequence on reproductive performance nor was a Zn-dependent effect on nematode growth observed. However, RNAi of these genes led to an accumulation of Zn in the intestinal cells. W08E12.3 was recombinantly expressed in E. coli and the purified protein was shown to be able to bind up to 6.5 Zn molecules at neutral pH. Zn-binding was acid-labile and the apo protein was observed at pH < 4.3. This characterization suggests W08E12.2, W08E12.3, W08E12.4 and W08E12.5 belong to a family of putative Metalloproteins which, akin to metallothioneins, may play an important role in Zn-sensing, homeostasis and/or detoxification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poulami Chaudhuri
- King's College London, School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK.
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10
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Öhrvik H, Aaseth J, Horn N. Orchestration of dynamic copper navigation – new and missing pieces. Metallomics 2017; 9:1204-1229. [DOI: 10.1039/c7mt00010c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A general principle in all cells in the body is that an essential metal – here copper – is taken up at the plasma membrane, directed through cellular compartments for use in specific enzymes and pathways, stored in specific scavenging molecules if in surplus, and finally expelled from the cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Öhrvik
- Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology
- Uppsala University
- Sweden
| | - Jan Aaseth
- Innlandet Hospital Trust and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
- Norway
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11
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Aschner M, Palinski C, Sperling M, Karst U, Schwerdtle T, Bornhorst J. Imaging metals in Caenorhabditis elegans. Metallomics 2017; 9:357-364. [DOI: 10.1039/c6mt00265j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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12
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Sf G, Sk D, Bennett M, Raab A, Feldmann J, Kille P, Loureiro S, Dj S, Jg B. Sub-lethal cadmium exposure increases phytochelatin concentrations in the aquatic snail Lymnaea stagnalis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:1054-1058. [PMID: 27358197 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Phytochelatins are metal-binding metabolites found in almost all plant species and some animal groups, including nematodes and annelids, where they can play an important role in detoxifying metals such as cadmium. Species from several other taxa contain a phytochelatin synthase (PCS) gene orthologue, including molluscs, indicating they may have the potential to synthesize phytochelatins. However, the presence of a gene alone does not demonstrate that it plays a functional role in metal detoxification. In the present study, we show that the aquatic snail Lymnaea stagnalis produced both penta- and heptapeptide phytochelatins (i.e. phytochelatin-2 and phytochelatin-3), and their levels increased in response to sub-lethal levels of cadmium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalves Sf
- Department of Biology & CESAM, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Davies Sk
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - M Bennett
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - A Raab
- TESLA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK
| | - J Feldmann
- TESLA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK
| | - P Kille
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK
| | - S Loureiro
- Department of Biology & CESAM, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Spurgeon Dj
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Bundy Jg
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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13
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Dietrich N, Tan CH, Cubillas C, Earley BJ, Kornfeld K. Insights into zinc and cadmium biology in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 611:120-133. [PMID: 27261336 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Zinc is an essential metal that is involved in a wide range of biological processes, and aberrant zinc homeostasis is implicated in multiple human diseases. Cadmium is chemically similar to zinc, but it is a nonessential environmental pollutant. Because zinc deficiency and excess are deleterious, animals require homeostatic mechanisms to maintain zinc levels in response to dietary fluctuations. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is emerging as a powerful model system to investigate zinc trafficking and homeostasis as well as cadmium toxicity. Here we review genetic and molecular studies that have combined to generate a picture of zinc homeostasis based on the transcriptional control of zinc transporters in intestinal cells. Furthermore, we summarize studies of cadmium toxicity that reveal intriguing parallels with zinc biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dietrich
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
| | - Chieh-Hsiang Tan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Ciro Cubillas
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Brian James Earley
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Kerry Kornfeld
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
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