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From metabolism to lifespan trade-offs: polyethylene microplastics induce circadian disruption and sex-specific aging in Drosophila melanogaster
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Researchers exposed Drosophila melanogaster to polyethylene microplastics over multiple generations and found that MP exposure disrupted circadian rhythm gene expression, reduced lifespan, and diminished reproductive output, suggesting fitness trade-offs mediated by metabolic and clock pathway disruption.
Microplastics (MPs), particularly polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs), are increasingly recognized as contaminants in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. However, the ecological impacts of PE-MPs on terrestrial organisms remain underexplored. This study investigates the physiological and behavioral effects of PE-MPs exposure in the terrestrial model organism Drosophila melanogaster, shedding light on the potential risks posed by PE-MPs in land-based ecosystems. After exposing the fruit flies to different concentrations of PE-MPs for 20 days, we assessed several physiological biomarkers, including spontaneous behavioral activity, starvation resistance, metabolic biomarkers, and lifespan. Our findings indicate that PE-MPs exposure significantly affects fruit fly physiology, with increased spontaneous activity, decreased starvation resistance, and reduced triglyceride (TG) and protein levels (in males), reflecting disruption of metabolic processes. While PE-MPs did not affect female reproductive capacity, they did result in sex-specific impacts on lifespan, with male fruit flies showing a significant reduction in both mean and median lifespan at higher PE-MPs concentrations. These results highlight the need to consider the sex-dependent nature of PE-MPs toxicity when assessing their ecological risks. This study contributes new insights into the potential for PE-MPs to disrupt terrestrial ecosystems and underscores the importance of investigating the effects of microplastics on terrestrial invertebrates, providing a foundation for future ecotoxicological research.
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High-concentration polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics co-exposure shorten insect lifespan and impose ecological risk: Multi-omics evidence from Drosophila melanogaster
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Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study how co-exposure to high concentrations of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affects insect lifespan. Multi-omics analysis revealed that microplastic co-exposure significantly shortened lifespan and disrupted key biological pathways, suggesting potential ecological risks from cumulative microplastic exposure in the environment.
MultigenerationalEffects of Weathered PolyethyleneMicroplastics on Drosophila melanogaster
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Researchers tracked multigenerational effects of weathered polyethylene microplastics on Drosophila melanogaster, finding that fitness effects including reduced fecundity and lifespan became more pronounced in later generations even when offspring were not directly exposed.
Intake of polyamide microplastics affects the behavior and metabolism of Drosophila
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Researchers found that exposure to polyamide microplastics altered feeding behaviour, reduced triglyceride and protein levels, and disrupted metabolism in Drosophila, with effects differing between sexes and increasing in severity at higher microplastic concentrations.
Nanoplastics exposure disrupts circadian rhythm associated with dysfunction of the endolysosomal pathway and autophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers found that exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics disrupted circadian rhythms in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, linking the disruption to dysfunction in endolysosomal pathways and autophagy. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure may interfere with fundamental biological timing mechanisms through stress-related cellular pathways, raising concerns about the broader biological effects of nanoplastic pollution.
Multi-omics Analysis Uncovers Lifespan Effects of Polyethylene and Polystyrene Microplastics Coexposure in Drosophila melanogaster
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Researchers used fruit flies (Drosophila) to investigate the combined effects of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics on lifespan. They found that co-exposure at high concentrations significantly reduced lifespan and impaired climbing ability, intestinal barrier function, and hunger resistance. Multi-omics analysis revealed disruptions in metabolic pathways and immune signaling, suggesting that combined microplastic exposure may be more harmful than single-type exposure alone.
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