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Henry J, Bai Y, Kreuder F, Mawdsley D, Kaslin J, Wlodkowic D. Methods: A bioinformatic protocol for rapid analysis of zebrafish embryo photo-motory responses (PMR) in neurotoxicity testing. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2024; 277:109833. [PMID: 38218564 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.109833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Chemobehavioural phenotyping presents unique opportunities for analyzing neurotoxicants and discovering behavior-modifying neuroceuticals in small aquatic model organisms such as zebrafish (Danio rerio). A recently popularized approach in this field involves the utilization of zebrafish embryos for a photo-motor response (PMR) bioassay. The PMR bioassay entails stimulating zebrafish embryos between 24 and 36 h post fertilization (hpf) with a high-intensity light stimulus, inducing a transient increase in the frequency of photo-induced embryo body flexions. These flexions can be computationally analyzed to derive behavioral signatures, enabling the categorization of neuromodulating chemicals. Despite the significant advantages of the PMR bioassay, its widespread implementation is hindered by lack of well described and straightforward high-throughput bioinformatic analysis of behavioral data. In this methods article, we present an easily implementable bioinformatics protocol specifically designed for rapid behavioral analysis of large cohorts of zebrafish specimens in PMR bioassays. We also address common pitfalls encountered during PMR analysis, discuss its limitations, and propose future directions for developing next-generation biometric analysis techniques in chemobehavioural assays utilizing zebrafish embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Henry
- The Neurotoxicology Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Yutao Bai
- The Neurotoxicology Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Florian Kreuder
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - David Mawdsley
- Defence Science and Technology Group, Fishermans Bend, VIC 3207, Australia
| | - Jan Kaslin
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Donald Wlodkowic
- The Neurotoxicology Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.
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2
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Rosner A, Ballarin L, Barnay-Verdier S, Borisenko I, Drago L, Drobne D, Concetta Eliso M, Harbuzov Z, Grimaldi A, Guy-Haim T, Karahan A, Lynch I, Giulia Lionetto M, Martinez P, Mehennaoui K, Oruc Ozcan E, Pinsino A, Paz G, Rinkevich B, Spagnuolo A, Sugni M, Cambier S. A broad-taxa approach as an important concept in ecotoxicological studies and pollution monitoring. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:131-176. [PMID: 37698089 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13015] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic invertebrates play a pivotal role in (eco)toxicological assessments because they offer ethical, cost-effective and repeatable testing options. Additionally, their significance in the food chain and their ability to represent diverse aquatic ecosystems make them valuable subjects for (eco)toxicological studies. To ensure consistency and comparability across studies, international (eco)toxicology guidelines have been used to establish standardised methods and protocols for data collection, analysis and interpretation. However, the current standardised protocols primarily focus on a limited number of aquatic invertebrate species, mainly from Arthropoda, Mollusca and Annelida. These protocols are suitable for basic toxicity screening, effectively assessing the immediate and severe effects of toxic substances on organisms. For more comprehensive and ecologically relevant assessments, particularly those addressing long-term effects and ecosystem-wide impacts, we recommended the use of a broader diversity of species, since the present choice of taxa exacerbates the limited scope of basic ecotoxicological studies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of (eco)toxicological studies, focusing on major aquatic invertebrate taxa and how they are used to assess the impact of chemicals in diverse aquatic environments. The present work supports the use of a broad-taxa approach in basic environmental assessments, as it better represents the natural populations inhabiting various ecosystems. Advances in omics and other biochemical and computational techniques make the broad-taxa approach more feasible, enabling mechanistic studies on non-model organisms. By combining these approaches with in vitro techniques together with the broad-taxa approach, researchers can gain insights into less-explored impacts of pollution, such as changes in population diversity, the development of tolerance and transgenerational inheritance of pollution responses, the impact on organism phenotypic plasticity, biological invasion outcomes, social behaviour changes, metabolome changes, regeneration phenomena, disease susceptibility and tissue pathologies. This review also emphasises the need for harmonised data-reporting standards and minimum annotation checklists to ensure that research results are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR), maximising the use and reusability of data. The ultimate goal is to encourage integrated and holistic problem-focused collaboration between diverse scientific disciplines, international standardisation organisations and decision-making bodies, with a focus on transdisciplinary knowledge co-production for the One-Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Loriano Ballarin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, I-35121, Italy
| | - Stéphanie Barnay-Verdier
- Sorbonne Université; CNRS, INSERM, Université Côte d'Azur, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging Nice, 28 avenue Valombrose, Nice, F-06107, France
| | - Ilya Borisenko
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Embryology, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya embankment 7/9, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Laura Drago
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, I-35121, Italy
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, Ljubljana, 1111, Slovenia
| | - Maria Concetta Eliso
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, 80121, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Zoya Harbuzov
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Koushy Ave., Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Annalisa Grimaldi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, Varese, 3-21100, Italy
| | - Tamar Guy-Haim
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Arzu Karahan
- Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli-Mersin, PO 28, 33731, Turkey
| | - Iseult Lynch
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Maria Giulia Lionetto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, via prov. le Lecce -Monteroni, Lecce, I-73100, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina, 61, Palermo, I-90133, Italy
| | - Pedro Martinez
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
- Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Kahina Mehennaoui
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux, L-4422, Luxembourg
| | - Elif Oruc Ozcan
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, Cukurova University, Balcali, Saricam, Adana, 01330, Turkey
| | - Annalisa Pinsino
- National Research Council, Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, Palermo, 90146, Italy
| | - Guy Paz
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Antonietta Spagnuolo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Sébastien Cambier
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux, L-4422, Luxembourg
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Parvatikar PP, Patil S, Khaparkhuntikar K, Patil S, Singh PK, Sahana R, Kulkarni RV, Raghu AV. Artificial intelligence: Machine learning approach for screening large database and drug discovery. Antiviral Res 2023; 220:105740. [PMID: 37935248 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Recent research in drug discovery dealing with many faces difficulties, including development of new drugs during disease outbreak and drug resistance due to rapidly accumulating mutations. Virtual screening is the most widely used method in computer aided drug discovery. It has a prominent ability in screening drug targets from large molecular databases. Recently, a number of web servers have developed for quickly screening publicly accessible chemical databases. In a nutshell, deep learning algorithms and artificial neural networks have modernised the field. Several drug discovery processes have used machine learning and deep learning algorithms, including peptide synthesis, structure-based virtual screening, ligand-based virtual screening, toxicity prediction, drug monitoring and release, pharmacophore modelling, quantitative structure-activity relationship, drug repositioning, polypharmacology, and physiochemical activity. Although there are presently a wide variety of data-driven AI/ML tools available, the majority of these tools have, up to this point, been developed in the context of non-communicable diseases like cancer, and a number of obstacles have prevented the translation of these tools to the discovery of treatments against infectious diseases. In this review various aspects of AI and ML in virtual screening of large databases were discussed. Here, with an emphasis on antivirals as well as other disease, offers a perspective on the advantages, drawbacks, and hazards of AI/ML techniques in the search for innovative treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachi P Parvatikar
- Department of Biotechnology, Allied Health Science, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India.
| | - Sudha Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutics, BLDEA's SSM College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Vijayapur 586 103, Karnataka, India
| | - Kedar Khaparkhuntikar
- Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, Telangana, 500037, India
| | - Shruti Patil
- Department of Biotechnology, Allied Health Science, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, Telangana, 500037, India
| | - R Sahana
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, RV Institute of Technology and Management, 560076, Bengaluru, India
| | - Raghavendra V Kulkarni
- Department of Biotechnology, Allied Health Science, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India; Department of Pharmaceutics, BLDEA's SSM College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Vijayapur 586 103, Karnataka, India
| | - Anjanapura V Raghu
- Department of Science and Technology, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India.
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Kagan BJ, Gyngell C, Lysaght T, Cole VM, Sawai T, Savulescu J. The technology, opportunities, and challenges of Synthetic Biological Intelligence. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 68:108233. [PMID: 37558186 PMCID: PMC7615149 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Integrating neural cultures developed through synthetic biology methods with digital computing has enabled the early development of Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI). Recently, key studies have emphasized the advantages of biological neural systems in some information processing tasks. However, neither the technology behind this early development, nor the potential ethical opportunities or challenges, have been explored in detail yet. Here, we review the key aspects that facilitate the development of SBI and explore potential applications. Considering these foreseeable use cases, various ethical implications are proposed. Ultimately, this work aims to provide a robust framework to structure ethical considerations to ensure that SBI technology can be both researched and applied responsibly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Gyngell
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tamra Lysaght
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Victor M Cole
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tsutomu Sawai
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Julian Savulescu
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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5
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Boualit L, Cayuela H, Ballu A, Cattin L, Reis C, Chèvre N. The Amphibian Short-Term Assay: Evaluation of a New Ecotoxicological Method for Amphibians Using Two Organophosphate Pesticides Commonly Found in Nature-Assessment of Behavioral Traits. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1595-1606. [PMID: 37097014 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Neurotoxic pesticides are used worldwide to protect crops from insects; they are recognized to impact nontarget organisms that live in areas surrounded by treated crops. Many biochemical and cell-based solutions have been developed for testing insecticide neurotoxicity. Nevertheless, such solutions provide a partial assessment of the impact of neurotoxicity, neglecting important phenotypic components such as behavior. Behavior is the apical endpoint altered by neurotoxicity, and scientists are increasingly recommending including behavioral endpoints in available tests or developing new methods for assessing contaminant-induced behavioral changes. In the present study, we extended an existing protocol (the amphibian short-term assay) with a behavioral test. To this purpose, we developed a homemade device along with an open-source computing solution for tracking trajectories of Xenopus laevis tadpoles exposed to two organophosphates insecticides (OPIs), diazinon (DZN) and chlorpyrifos (CPF). The data resulting from the tracking were then analyzed, and the impact of exposure to DZN and CPF was tested on speed- and direction-related components. Our results demonstrate weak impacts of DZN on the behavioral components, while CPF demonstrated strong effects, notably on speed-related components. Our results also suggest a time-dependent alteration of behavior by CPF, with the highest impacts at day 6 and an absence of impact at day 8. Although only two OPIs were tested, we argue that our solution coupled with biochemical biomarkers is promising for testing the neurotoxicity of this pesticide group on amphibians. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1595-1606. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Boualit
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hugo Cayuela
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolution, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Aurélien Ballu
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Cattin
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Reis
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Chèvre
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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6
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Wlodkowic D, Jansen M. High-throughput screening paradigms in ecotoxicity testing: Emerging prospects and ongoing challenges. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 307:135929. [PMID: 35944679 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135929] [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: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The rapidly increasing number of new production chemicals coupled with stringent implementation of global chemical management programs necessities a paradigm shift towards boarder uses of low-cost and high-throughput ecotoxicity testing strategies as well as deeper understanding of cellular and sub-cellular mechanisms of ecotoxicity that can be used in effective risk assessment. The latter will require automated acquisition of biological data, new capabilities for big data analysis as well as computational simulations capable of translating new data into in vivo relevance. However, very few efforts have been so far devoted into the development of automated bioanalytical systems in ecotoxicology. This is in stark contrast to standardized and high-throughput chemical screening and prioritization routines found in modern drug discovery pipelines. As a result, the high-throughput and high-content data acquisition in ecotoxicology is still in its infancy with limited examples focused on cell-free and cell-based assays. In this work we outline recent developments and emerging prospects of high-throughput bioanalytical approaches in ecotoxicology that reach beyond in vitro biotests. We discuss future importance of automated quantitative data acquisition for cell-free, cell-based as well as developments in phytotoxicity and in vivo biotests utilizing small aquatic model organisms. We also discuss recent innovations such as organs-on-a-chip technologies and existing challenges for emerging high-throughput ecotoxicity testing strategies. Lastly, we provide seminal examples of the small number of successful high-throughput implementations that have been employed in prioritization of chemicals and accelerated environmental risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Wlodkowic
- The Neurotox Lab, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.
| | - Marcus Jansen
- LemnaTec GmbH, Nerscheider Weg 170, 52076, Aachen, Germany
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7
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Henry J, Bai Y, Wlodkowic D. Digital Video Acquisition and Optimization Techniques for Effective Animal Tracking in Behavioral Ecotoxicology. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:2342-2352. [PMID: 35848752 PMCID: PMC9826254 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral phenotypic analysis is an emerging and increasingly important toolbox in aquatic ecotoxicology. In this regard digital video recording has recently become a standard in obtaining behavioral data. Subsequent analysis requires applications of specialized software for detecting and reconstructing animal locomotory trajectories as well as extracting quantitative biometric endpoints associated with specific behavioral traits. Despite some profound advantages for behavioral ecotoxicology, there is a notable lack of standardization of procedures and guidelines that would aid in consistently acquiring high-quality digital videos. The latter are fundamental for using animal tracking software successfully and to avoid issues such as identification switching, incorrect interpolation, and low tracking visibility. Achieving an optimized tracking not only saves user time and effort to analyze the results but also provides high-fidelity data with minimal artifacts. In the present study we, for the first time, provide an easily accessible guide on how to set up and optimize digital video acquisition while minimizing pitfalls in obtaining the highest-quality data for subsequent animal tracking. We also discuss straightforward digital video postprocessing techniques that can be employed to further enhance tracking consistency or improve the videos that were acquired in otherwise suboptimal settings. The present study provides an essential guidebook for any aquatic ecotoxicology studies that utilize digital video acquisition systems for evaluation of behavioral endpoints. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2342-2352. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Henry
- The Neurotox Lab, School of ScienceRMIT UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Yutao Bai
- The Neurotox Lab, School of ScienceRMIT UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Donald Wlodkowic
- The Neurotox Lab, School of ScienceRMIT UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Lever J, Kreuder F, Henry J, Hung A, Allard PM, Brkljača R, Rix C, Taki AC, Gasser RB, Kaslin J, Wlodkowic D, Wolfender JL, Urban S. Targeted Isolation of Antibiotic Brominated Alkaloids from the Marine Sponge Pseudoceratina durissima Using Virtual Screening and Molecular Networking. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20090554. [PMID: 36135743 PMCID: PMC9503778 DOI: 10.3390/md20090554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many targeted natural product isolation approaches rely on the use of pre-existing bioactivity information to inform the strategy used for the isolation of new bioactive compounds. Bioactivity information can be available either in the form of prior assay data or via Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) information which can indicate a potential chemotype that exhibits a desired bioactivity. The work described herein utilizes a unique method of targeted isolation using structure-based virtual screening to identify potential antibacterial compounds active against MRSA within the marine sponge order Verongiida. This is coupled with molecular networking-guided, targeted isolation to provide a novel drug discovery procedure. A total of 12 previously reported bromotyrosine-derived alkaloids were isolated from the marine sponge species Pseudoceratina durissima, and the compound, (+)-aeroplysinin-1 (1) displayed activity against the MRSA pathogen (MIC: <32 µg/mL). The compounds (1−3, 6 and 9) were assessed for their central nervous system (CNS) interaction and behavioral toxicity to zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae, whereby several of the compounds were shown to induce significant hyperactivity. Anthelmintic activity against the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contorutus was also evaluated (2−4, 6−8).
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Affiliation(s)
- James Lever
- School of Science (Applied Chemistry and Environmental Sciences), RMIT University, GPO Box 2476 Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
| | - Florian Kreuder
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Jason Henry
- Neurotoxicology Lab., School of Science (Biosciences), RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Andrew Hung
- School of Science (Applied Chemistry and Environmental Sciences), RMIT University, GPO Box 2476 Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
| | | | - Robert Brkljača
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Colin Rix
- School of Science (Applied Chemistry and Environmental Sciences), RMIT University, GPO Box 2476 Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
| | - Aya C. Taki
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agriculture Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agriculture Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jan Kaslin
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Donald Wlodkowic
- Neurotoxicology Lab., School of Science (Biosciences), RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Jean-Luc Wolfender
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Urban
- School of Science (Applied Chemistry and Environmental Sciences), RMIT University, GPO Box 2476 Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
- Correspondence:
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9
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Wlodkowic D, Bownik A, Leitner C, Stengel D, Braunbeck T. Beyond the behavioural phenotype: Uncovering mechanistic foundations in aquatic eco-neurotoxicology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 829:154584. [PMID: 35306067 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
During the last decade, there has been an increase in awareness of how anthropogenic pollution can alter behavioural traits of diverse aquatic organisms. Apart from understanding profound ecological implications, alterations in neuro-behavioural indices have emerged as sensitive and physiologically integrative endpoints in chemical risk assessment. Accordingly, behavioural ecotoxicology and broader eco-neurotoxicology are becoming increasingly popular fields of research that span a plethora of fundamental laboratory experimentations as well as applied field-based studies. Despite mounting interest in aquatic behavioural ecotoxicology studies, there is, however, a considerable paucity in deciphering the mechanistic foundations underlying behavioural alterations upon exposure to pollutants. The behavioural phenotype is indeed the highest-level integrative neurobiological phenomenon, but at its core lie myriads of intertwined biochemical, cellular, and physiological processes. Therefore, the mechanisms that underlie changes in behavioural phenotypes can stem among others from dysregulation of neurotransmitter pathways, electrical signalling, and cell death of discrete cell populations in the central and peripheral nervous systems. They can, however, also be a result of toxicity to sensory organs and even metabolic dysfunctions. In this critical review, we outline why behavioural phenotyping should be the starting point that leads to actual discovery of fundamental mechanisms underlying actions of neurotoxic and neuromodulating contaminants. We highlight potential applications of the currently existing and emerging neurobiology and neurophysiology analytical strategies that should be embraced and more broadly adopted in behavioural ecotoxicology. Such strategies can provide new mechanistic discoveries instead of only observing the end sum phenotypic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Wlodkowic
- The Neurotox Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Adam Bownik
- Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland
| | - Carola Leitner
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 504, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Stengel
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 504, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Braunbeck
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 504, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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10
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Henry J, Bai Y, Williams D, Logozzo A, Ford A, Wlodkowic D. Impact of test chamber design on spontaneous behavioral responses of model crustacean zooplankton Artemia franciscana. Lab Anim (NY) 2022; 51:81-88. [PMID: 35115724 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-021-00908-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The use of small aquatic model organisms to investigate the behavioral effects of chemical exposure is becoming an integral component of aquatic ecotoxicology research and neuroactive drug discovery. Despite the increasing use of invertebrates for behavioral phenotyping in toxicological studies and chemical risk assessments, little is known regarding the potential for environmental factors-such as geometry, size, opacity and depth of test chambers-to modulate common behavioral responses. In this work, we demonstrate that test chamber geometry, size, opacity and depth can affect spontaneous, unstimulated behavioral responses of euryhaline crustacean Artemia franciscana first instar larval stages. We found that in the absence of any obvious directional cues, A. franciscana exhibited a strong innate wall preference behavior. Using different test chamber sizes and geometries, we found both increased wall preference and lowered overall distance traveled by the test shrimp in a smaller chamber with sharper-angled vertices. It was also determined through quantifiable changes in the chambers' color that the A. franciscana early larval stages can perceive, differentiate and react to differences in color or perhaps rather to light transmittance of the test chambers. The interaction between innate edge preference and positive phototaxis could be consistently altered with a novel photic stimulus system. We also observed a strong initial preference for depth in A. franciscana first instar larval stages, which diminished through the acclimatization. We postulate that the impact of test chamber designs on neurobehavioral baseline responses warrants further investigation, in particular considering the increased interest in behavioral eco-neurotoxicology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Henry
- The Neurotox Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yutao Bai
- The Neurotox Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel Williams
- The Neurotox Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrian Logozzo
- The Neurotox Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alex Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Donald Wlodkowic
- The Neurotox Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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11
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Wlodkowic D. Future prospects of accelerating neuroactive drug discovery with high-throughput behavioral phenotyping. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:305-308. [PMID: 35081850 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2031971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Donald Wlodkowic
- The Neurotox Lab, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
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12
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Liu J, Shang Y, Xiao J, Fan H, Jiang M, Fan S, Bai G. Phenotype-Based HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS Coupled With Zebrafish Behavior Trajectory Analysis System for the Identification of the Antidepressant Components in Methanol Extract of Anshen Buxin Six Pills. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:764388. [PMID: 34880758 PMCID: PMC8645982 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.764388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotype screening has become an important tool for the discovery of active components in traditional Chinese medicine. Anshen Buxin Six Pills (ASBX) are a traditional Mongolian medicine used for the treatment of neurosis in clinical settings. However, its antidepressant components have not been explicitly identified and studied. Here, the antidepressant effect of ASBX was evaluated in adult zebrafish. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was combined with zebrafish behavior trajectory analysis to screen and identify the antidepressant-active extract fraction and active components of ASBX. Finally, the antidepressant effect of the active ingredients were verified by the behavior, pathology, biochemical indices and protein level of adult fish. The novel tank driving test (NTDT) showed that ASBX can effectively improve the depressive effect of reserpine on zebrafish. Petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts of ASBX were screened as antidepressant active extracts. Costunolide (COS) and dehydrocostus lactone (DHE) were screened as the active components of ASBX. COS had been shown to significantly improve the depressive behavior, nerve injury and neurotransmitter levels (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE)) of zebrafish by inhibiting the high expression of serotonin transporter and norepinephrine transporter induced by reserpine suggesting the antidepressant effect of COS may be related to its effect on 5-HT and NE pathways. This study provided a phenotype based screening method for antidepressant components of traditional Chinese medicines, so as to realize the separation, identification and activity screening of components at the same time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yue Shang
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Juanlan Xiao
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Huirong Fan
- The Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Saijun Fan
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Gang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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13
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Ren Q, Gao D, Mou L, Zhang S, Zhang M, Li N, Sik A, Jin M, Liu K. Anticonvulsant activity of melatonin and its success in ameliorating epileptic comorbidity-like symptoms in zebrafish. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 912:174589. [PMID: 34699755 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of common neurological disorders, greatly distresses the well-being of the sufferers. Melatonin has been used in clinical anti-epileptic studies, but its effect on epileptic comorbidities is unknown, and the underlying mechanism needs further investigation. Herein, by generating PTZ-induced zebrafish seizure model, we carried out interdisciplinary research using neurobehavioral assays, bioelectrical detection, molecular biology, and network pharmacology to investigate the activity of melatonin as well as its pharmacological mechanisms. We found melatonin suppressed seizure-like behavior by using zebrafish regular locomotor assays. Zebrafish freezing and bursting activity assays revealed the ameliorative effect of melatonin on comorbidity-like symptoms. The preliminary screening results of neurobehavioral assays were further verified by the expression of key genes involved in neuronal activity, neurodevelopment, depression and anxiety, as well as electrical signal recording from the midbrain of zebrafish. Subsequently, network pharmacology was introduced to identify potential targets of melatonin and its pathways. Real-time qPCR and protein-protein interaction (PPI) were conducted to confirm the underlying mechanisms associated with glutathione metabolism. We also found that melatonin receptors were involved in this process, which were regulated in response to melatonin exposure before PTZ treatment. The antagonists of melatonin receptors affected anticonvulsant activity of melatonin. Overall, current study revealed the considerable ameliorative effects of melatonin on seizure and epileptic comorbidity-like symptoms and unveiled the underlying mechanism. This study provides an animal model for the clinical application of melatonin in the treatment of epilepsy and its comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyu Ren
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Daili Gao
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Lei Mou
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Mengqi Zhang
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Ning Li
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Attila Sik
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, H-7624, Hungary; Szentagothai Research Centre, University of Pecs, Pecs, H-7624, Hungary; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Meng Jin
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Kechun Liu
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
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14
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Selvaraj C, Chandra I, Singh SK. Artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches for drug design: challenges and opportunities for the pharmaceutical industries. Mol Divers 2021; 26:1893-1913. [PMID: 34686947 PMCID: PMC8536481 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-021-10326-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The global spread of COVID-19 has raised the importance of pharmaceutical drug development as intractable and hot research. Developing new drug molecules to overcome any disease is a costly and lengthy process, but the process continues uninterrupted. The critical point to consider the drug design is to use the available data resources and to find new and novel leads. Once the drug target is identified, several interdisciplinary areas work together with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods to get enriched drugs. These AI and ML methods are applied in every step of the computer-aided drug design, and integrating these AI and ML methods results in a high success rate of hit compounds. In addition, this AI and ML integration with high-dimension data and its powerful capacity have taken a step forward. Clinical trials output prediction through the AI/ML integrated models could further decrease the clinical trials cost by also improving the success rate. Through this review, we discuss the backend of AI and ML methods in supporting the computer-aided drug design, along with its challenge and opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry. From the available information or data, the AI and ML based prediction for the high throughput virtual screening. After this integration of AI and ML, the success rate of hit identification has gained a momentum with huge success by providing novel drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrabose Selvaraj
- CADD and Molecular Modelling Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Science Block, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630004, India.
| | - Ishwar Chandra
- CADD and Molecular Modelling Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Science Block, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630004, India
| | - Sanjeev Kumar Singh
- CADD and Molecular Modelling Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Science Block, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630004, India.
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15
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Bownik A, Wlodkowic D. Advances in real-time monitoring of water quality using automated analysis of animal behaviour. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 789:147796. [PMID: 34049143 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of freshwater quality and its potential sudden contamination is integral to human health, sustainable economic development and prediction of pollutant impact on aquatic ecosystems. Although there have been significant advances in technologies for automated sampling and continuous analysis of water physicochemical parameters, the current capabilities for real-time warning against rapidly developing unknown mixtures of chemical hazards are still limited. Conventional chemical analysis systems are not suitable for assessing unknown mixtures of chemicals as well as additive and/or synergetic effects on biological systems. From the perspective of neurotoxicology the acute exposures to chemical agents that affect nervous system and can enter the freshwater supplies accidentally or as a result of deliberate action, can only be reliably assessed using appropriate functional biological models. In this regard real-time biological early warning systems (BEWS), that can continuously monitor behavioural and/or physiological parameters of suitable aquatic bioindicator species, have been historically proposed to fill the gap and supplement conventional water quality test strategies. Alterations in sub-lethal neuro-behavioural traits have been proven as very sensitive and physiologically relevant endpoints that can provide highly integrative water quality sensing capabilities. Although BEWS are commonly regarded as non-specific and lacking both quantitative and qualitative detection capabilities, their advantages, if properly designed and implemented, lie in continuous sensing and early-warning information about sudden alteration in water quality parameters. In this work we review the future prospects of real-time biological early warning systems as well as recent developments that are anchored in historical successes and practical deployment examples. We concentrate on technologies utilizing analysis of behavioural and physiological endpoints of animal bioindicators and highlight the existing challenges, barriers to future development and demonstrate how recent advances in inexpensive electronics and multidisciplinary bioengineering can help revitalize the BEWS field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Bownik
- Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland
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16
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Bownik A, Wlodkowic D. Applications of advanced neuro-behavioral analysis strategies in aquatic ecotoxicology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 772:145577. [PMID: 33770877 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite mounting evidence of pleiotropic ecological risks, the understanding of the eco-neurotoxic impact of most industrially relevant chemicals is still very limited. In particularly the acute and chronic exposures to industrial pollutants on nervous systems and thus potential alterations in ecological fitness remain profoundly understudied. Since the behavioral phenotype is the highest-level and functional manifestation of integrated neurological functions, the alterations in neuro-behavioral traits have been postulated as very sensitive and physiologically integrative endpoints to assess eco-neurotoxicological risks associated with industrial pollutants. Due to a considerable backlog of risk assessments of existing and new production chemicals there is a need for a paradigm shift from high cost, low throughput ecotoxicity test models to next generation systems amenable to higher throughput. In this review we concentrate on emerging aspects of laboratory-based neuro-behavioral phenotyping approaches that can be amenable for rapid prioritizing pipelines. We outline the importance of development and applications of innovative neuro-behavioral assays utilizing small aquatic biological indicators and demonstrate emerging concepts of high-throughput chemo-behavioral phenotyping. We also discuss new analytical approaches to effectively and rapidly evaluate the impact of pollutants on higher behavioral functions such as sensory-motor assays, decision-making and cognitive behaviors using innovative model organisms. Finally, we provide a snapshot of most recent analytical approaches that can be applied to elucidate mechanistic rationale that underlie the observed neuro-behavioral alterations upon exposure to pollutants. This review is intended to outline the emerging opportunities for innovative multidisciplinary research and highlight the existing challenges as well barriers to future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Bownik
- Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland
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17
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Wlodkowic D, Campana O. Toward High-Throughput Fish Embryo Toxicity Tests in Aquatic Toxicology. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:3505-3513. [PMID: 33656853 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Addressing the shift from classical animal testing to high-throughput in vitro and/or simplified in vivo proxy models has been defined as one of the upcoming challenges in aquatic toxicology. In this regard, the fish embryo toxicity test (FET) has gained significant popularity and wide standardization as one of the sensitive alternative approaches to acute fish toxicity tests in chemical risk assessment and water quality evaluation. Nevertheless, despite the growing regulatory acceptance, the actual manipulation, dispensing, and analysis of living fish embryos remains very labor intensive. Moreover, the FET is commonly performed in plastic multiwell plates under static or semistatic conditions, potentially inadequate for toxicity assessment of some organic, easily degradable or highly adsorptive toxicants. Recent technological advances in the field of mechatronics, fluidics and digital vision systems demonstrate promising future opportunities for automation of many analytical stages in embryo toxicity testing. In this review, we highlight emerging advances in fluidic and laboratory automation systems that can prospectively enable high-throughput FET testing (HT-FET) akin to pipelines commonly found in in vitro drug discovery pipelines. We also outline the existing challenges, barriers to future development and provide an outlook of ground-breaking fluidic technologies in embryo toxicity testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Wlodkowic
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3083, Australia
| | - Olivia Campana
- University of Cadiz, INMAR, Puerto Real, Cadiz 11512, Spain
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18
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Bai Y, Henry J, Campana O, Wlodkowic D. Emerging prospects of integrated bioanalytical systems in neuro-behavioral toxicology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 756:143922. [PMID: 33302078 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Neurotoxicity effects of industrial contaminants are currently significantly under investigated and require innovative analytical approaches to assess health and environmental risks at individual, population and ecosystem levels. Behavioral changes assessed using small aquatic invertebrates as standard biological indicators of the aggregate toxic effects, have been broadly postulated as highly integrative indicators of neurotoxicity with physiological and ecological relevance. Despite recent increase in understanding of the emerging value of behavioral biotests, their wider implementation especially in high-throughput environmental risk assessment assays, is largely limited by the lack of advances in analytical technologies. To date, most of the behavioral biotests have only been performed with larger-volumes and lacked dynamic flow-through conditions. They also lack features necessary for development of higher throughput neuro-behavioral ecotoxicity assays such as miniaturization and integration of automated components. We postulate that some contemporary analytical limitations can be effectively addressed by innovative Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) technologies, an emerging and multidisciplinary field poised to bring significant miniaturization to aquatic ecotoxicity testing. Recent developments in this emerging field demonstrate particular opportunities to study a plethora of behavioral responses of small model organisms in a high-throughput fashion. In this review, we highlight recent advances in this budding new interdisciplinary field of research. We also outline the existing challenges, barriers to development and provide a future outlook in the evolving field of neurobehavioral ecotoxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutao Bai
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jason Henry
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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19
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Wang Y, Wang Y, Qian J, Pan X, Li X, Chen F, Hu J, Lü J. Single-cell infrared phenomics: phenotypic screening with infrared microspectroscopy. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:13237-13240. [PMID: 33030170 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc05721e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We conceptually demonstrate single-cell infrared phenomics as a novel strategy of phenotypic screening with infrared microspectroscopy. Based on this development, the cancer cell HepG2 glycocalyx was first identified as a potential target of protopanaxadiol, an herbal medicine. These findings provide a powerful tool to accurately evaluate the cell stress response and to largely expand the phenotypic screening toolkit for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadi Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
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20
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High-throughput animal tracking in chemobehavioral phenotyping: Current limitations and future perspectives. Behav Processes 2020; 180:104226. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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21
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Childers WE, Elokely KM, Abou-Gharbia M. The Resurrection of Phenotypic Drug Discovery. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1820-1828. [PMID: 33062159 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior to genetic mapping, the majority of drug discovery efforts involved phenotypic screening, wherein compounds were screened in either in vitro or in vivo models thought to mimic the disease state of interest. While never completely abandoning phenotypic approaches, the labor intensive nature of such tests encouraged the pharmaceutical industry to move away from them in favor of target-based drug discovery, which facilitated throughput and allowed for the efficient screening of large numbers of compounds. However, a consequence of reliance on target-based screening was an increased number of failures in clinical trials due to poor correlation between novel mechanistic targets and the actual disease state. As a result, the field has seen a recent resurrection in phenotypic drug discovery approaches. In this work, we highlight some recent phenotypic projects from our industrial past and in our current academic drug discovery environment that have provided encouraging results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne E. Childers
- Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, Temple University School of Pharmacy, 3307 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Khaled M. Elokely
- Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, Temple University School of Pharmacy, 3307 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, 1925 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Magid Abou-Gharbia
- Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, Temple University School of Pharmacy, 3307 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
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22
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Kinase-Based Screening of Marine Natural Extracts Leads to the Identification of a Cytotoxic High Molecular Weight Metabolite from the Mediterranean Sponge Crambe tailliezi. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17100569. [PMID: 31600933 PMCID: PMC6836018 DOI: 10.3390/md17100569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated cell death (RCD) results from the activation of one or more signal transduction modules both in physiological or pathological conditions. It is now established that RCD is involved in numerous human diseases, including cancer. As regulated cell death processes can be modulated by pharmacological tools, the research reported here aims to characterize new marine compounds acting as RCD modulators. Protein kinases (PKs) are key signaling actors in various RCDs notably through the control of either mitosis (e.g., the PKs Aurora A and B) or necroptosis (e.g., RIPK1 and RIPK3). From the primary screening of 27 various extracts of marine organisms collected in the Mediterranean Sea, an extract and subsequently a purified high molecular weight compound dubbed P3, were isolated from the marine sponge Crambe tailliezi and characterized as a selective inhibitor of PKs Aurora A and B. Furthermore, P3 was shown to induce apoptosis and to decrease proliferation and mitotic index of human osteosarcoma U-2 OS cells.
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