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Transcriptional biomarkers of microplastic exposure in fish: a tissue-resolved scoping review
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This review pulls together existing studies on how microplastics affect gene activity in fish, finding consistent disruptions to their protective barriers (like gills and gut lining), immune defenses, and hormone regulation. While this research is in fish, it matters for us too: fish are a major food source and environmental sentinel, and understanding these biological warning signs could eventually help scientists develop tests to detect harmful microplastic exposure before it causes bigger health problems, potentially including in humans, since we're exposed to the same tiny plastic particles through food, water, and air.
Microplastic exposure in fish has been increasingly assessed at the transcriptional level, yet findings remain dispersed across species, polymers, exposure routes, and tissues, limiting the identification of robust and transferable biomarkers. This scoping review examines which tissue-specific and cross-tissue transcriptional responses recur across available evidence and how they may support multi-gene biomarker development. Relevant experimental fish studies were identified through a structured PubMed search combining microplastic-, fish-, and transcription-related terms, followed by backward reference screening and forward citation chasing. Published studies reporting gene expression and transcriptomic outcomes in microplastic-exposed fish were synthesized with emphasis on tissues that both interface directly with the environment and show particle retention, including gills, gastrointestinal tract, skin, epidermal mucus, and related barrier compartments. The reviewed evidence indicates recurring transcriptional changes in epithelial integrity and junctional architecture, innate and adaptive immune signaling, redox balance and xenobiotic metabolism, ion transport and osmoregulatory control, and endocrine and metabolic regulation. However, the direction and magnitude of these responses vary with particle size, polymer chemistry, morphology, additives, co-contaminants, dose metrics, exposure route, and duration. Because single-gene readouts frequently overlap with responses to diverse stressors, tissue-aware, network-derived multi-gene signatures are proposed as a more specific approach to exposure diagnosis. Their feasibility is supported by the growing availability of RNA-seq datasets and established toxicogenomic workflows for module detection and classifier development. Opportunities for nonlethal biomonitoring include transcriptional signals from epidermal mucus and, prospectively, environmental RNA in surrounding water, although field application will require validation of RNA stability, shedding variability, and sampling procedures.
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect gene activity in aquatic organisms including fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. The studies show that these tiny particles disrupt genes involved in immune defense, stress response, reproduction, and metabolism. Understanding these molecular-level changes is important because they reveal how microplastics could cause long-term health problems in animals that enter the human food chain.
Transcriptomic Insights into Micro- and Nanoplastic Toxicity in Zebrafish: A Narrative Review
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This review pulls together existing research on how tiny plastic particles (micro- and nanoplastics) affect zebrafish, a small fish whose genes are surprisingly similar to ours and is commonly used to study health effects. The studies show these plastic particles can damage the brain, liver, gut, and reproductive organs by triggering harmful changes in gene activity, cell stress, and inflammation. Since zebrafish are often used as an early warning system for human health risks, this research suggests plastic pollution exposure — something we all experience through food, water, and air — deserves serious attention as a potential health concern.
Microplastics induce transcriptional changes, immune response and behavioral alterations in adult zebrafish
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Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics for twenty days and analyzed the effects at the genetic, tissue, and behavioral levels. They found significant changes in immune system genes, disrupted intestinal and gill tissue integrity, and increased presence of inflammatory cells. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may compromise fish defenses against pathogens by weakening the protective barriers of their mucosal tissues.
Tracing microplastics in fish: Uptake, translocation, and multidimensional biological impacts
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This review pulls together existing research on how microplastics move through fish—from what they eat, into their organs and cells, and how it affects their growth, behavior, and immune health. Since fish are a major food source for humans, understanding how microplastics build up in their bodies helps scientists figure out whether—and how much—these tiny plastic particles might be making their way onto our dinner plates. The paper doesn't prove human harm, but it lays the groundwork for better monitoring and future research into that question.
Effect of microplastics on different tissues of rainbow trout
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Scientists studied how microplastics affect rainbow trout by looking at changes in gene activity across different organs. This kind of research matters because fish are a major food source for humans, and understanding how microplastics harm fish tissues can hint at potential risks for us too, since we're exposed to the same tiny plastic particles through our food, water, and air.
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