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Microplastic-induced transcriptional stress in the filter-feeding ciliate Stentor coeruleus: A novel avenue for understanding unicellular responses
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Researchers exposed the filter-feeding ciliate Stentor coeruleus to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics and found that while the organism survived and reversed phenotypic changes within 24 hours of removal, transcriptomic analysis revealed activation of oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and xenobiotic clearance pathways, with exposure significantly reducing energy transfer efficiency in microbial food webs.
Polystyrene microplastics, as emerging environmental contaminants, have exerted widespread impacts on multicellular organisms in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about how they affect ecologically crucial unicellular eukaryotes, especially filter-feeding ciliates that connect the microbial and classical trophic networks in aquatic environments. Here, we investigated the filter-feeding ciliate Stentor coeruleus as a model organism, revealing that it exhibited strong survival capabilities under high-concentration microplastic stress, with phenotypic changes limited to altered pigment production and reduced predatory capacity. Notably, these phenotypes returned to normal within 24 h after microplastic removal, indicating a reversible adaptation mechanism. Our transcriptomic profiling revealed that microplastics activate redox stress responses in S. coeruleus, including the upregulation of key oxidoreductase genes (e.g., GST, GPx, SOD, and aldo-keto reductases), modulation of lipid metabolism, membrane protein modification, proteostasis maintenance (mediated by HSP70, DnaJ, and ubiquitin-related genes), and xenobiotic clearance through upregulation of the ABC transporter family. Furthermore, our feeding recovery experiments provide the first evidence that short-term exposure to high microplastic concentrations, despite not affecting survival rates, significantly disrupts energy transfer efficiency within microbial food webs. Overall, these results uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms and offer a novel ecological perspective on the threat posed by microplastics to microbial food webs.
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This study examined how polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics interact with cadmium to affect single-celled marine organisms called ciliates. The combined exposure was more toxic than either pollutant alone, disrupting the organisms' metabolism and stress responses at the genetic level. The findings demonstrate that microplastics can make heavy metal pollution worse by carrying metals into cells, a concern for marine food web contamination that could ultimately affect seafood safety.
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Researchers exposed clownfish to polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant and high concentrations for seven days and performed biochemical and transcriptomic analyses. The study found that even low-concentration exposure triggered significant gene expression changes indicating energy reallocation and stress responses, while high concentrations amplified these effects and activated additional inflammatory and detoxification pathways.
Sequencing data of Amphiprion ocellaris (clownfish) exposed to polystyrene nanoplastic
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Researchers exposed clownfish to polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant and high concentrations for seven days and performed biochemical and transcriptomic analyses. The study found that even low-concentration exposure triggered significant gene expression changes indicating energy reallocation and stress responses, while high concentrations amplified these effects and activated additional inflammatory and detoxification pathways.
Comprehensive analysis of proteomic and biochemical responses of Daphnia magna to short-term exposure to polystyrene microplastic particles
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Scientists exposed tiny freshwater crustaceans (Daphnia magna) to polystyrene microplastic particles for just 48 hours and found widespread disruptions at the molecular level. The organisms showed reduced energy metabolism, elevated signs of oxidative stress, and activated cellular uptake pathways, possibly as a defense mechanism. These findings indicate that even short-term microplastic exposure can trigger a complex stress response in a species that plays a key role in freshwater food webs.
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