Response of Coral Reef Dinoflagellates to Nanoplastics under Experimental Conditions Suggests Downregulation of Cellular Metabolism

Plastic products contribute heavily to anthropogenic pollution of the oceans. Small plastic particles in the microscale and nanoscale ranges have been found in all marine ecosystems, but little is known about their effects upon marine organisms. In this study, we examine changes in cell growth, aggregation, and gene expression of two symbiotic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae, Symbiodinium tridacnidorum (clade A3), and Cladocopium sp. (clade C) under exposure to 42-nm polystyrene beads. In laboratory experiments, the cell number and aggregation were reduced after 10 days of nanoplastic exposure at 0.01, 0.1, and 10 mg/L concentrations, but no clear correlation with plastic concentration was observed. Genes involved in dynein motor function were upregulated when compared to control conditions, while genes related to photosynthesis, mitosis, and intracellular degradation were downregulated. Overall, nanoplastic exposure led to more genes being downregulated than upregulated and the number of genes with altered expression was larger in Cladocopium sp. than in S. tridacnidorum, suggesting different sensitivity to nano-plastics between species. Our data show that nano-plastic inhibits growth and alters aggregation properties of microalgae, which may negatively affect the uptake of these indispensable symbionts by coral reef organisms.