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Gene Transcription Levels in Acartia tonsa Exposed to Waterborne or Foodborne Nanoplastics of Different Size and Composition
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Scientists exposed marine copepods (tiny crustaceans) to nanoplastics of different sizes and plastic types, through water or food, using metal-tagged particles to track them. Plastic was found in the copepods' waste, and plastics tagged with palladium or gold affected stress-related gene activity, while untreated polystyrene particles did not.
The widespread presence of nanoplastics (NPs) of different sizes and polymer compositions in aquatic ecosystems has raised increasing concern. Yet, their quantification remains difficult due to analytical limitations. Metal-doped model NPs offer a useful approach in toxicological studies enabling more quantitative assessment of NPs occurrence in organisms. This study provides a novel link between quantitative NP uptake and their transcriptomic effects in Acartia tonsa, highlighting the influence of polymer composition and exposure route. This study examined transcriptional responses in the marine copepod following both waterborne and foodborne exposure to NPs of varying sizes and polymer types, including polystyrene (PS) with and without a palladium tracer (Pd-doped PS and PS) as well as gold-doped polyvinyl chloride (Au-doped PVC), polypropylene (Au-doped PP) and polyethylene (Au-doped PE) NPs. Accumulation of Pd or Au was measured as a proxy of NPs in microalgae, copepods and their feces. All studied NPs were found in the feces. In exposed copepods, Pd-doped PS NPs showed the highest accumulation within organisms, followed by Au-doped PP NPs. These differences in accumulation may be influenced by the physicochemical properties of the NPs. The presence of Au/Pd-doped PS NPs in copepods and the routes of exposure were linked to alterations of transcription levels of general and oxidative stress genes. In contrast, non-doped PS NPs of different sizes did not affect the transcription levels of the selected genes. Overall, this study demonstrates that NP accumulation and excretion, as well as the molecular mechanisms regulated in A. tonsa, vary depending on NP polymer chemistry as well as on the exposure route.
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Regulation of target genes transcription in copepods Acartia tonsa waterborne or foodborne exposed to naked or metal-doped nanoplastics of different sizes and polymer composition
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Researchers exposed the marine copepod Acartia tonsa to nanoplastics via waterborne and foodborne routes and measured transcriptional responses in target genes. Exposure route influenced gene expression patterns, with foodborne exposure producing distinct molecular responses compared to direct waterborne contact.
Regulation of target genes transcription in copepods Acartia tonsa waterborne or foodborne exposed to naked or metal-doped nanoplastics of different sizes and polymer composition
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