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Combined Vibrio and nanoplastics stress promotes nanoplastic accumulation while reducing bacterial lethality in shrimp
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Researchers discovered that Vibrio bacteria act as carriers for nanoplastics in shrimp, ferrying the tiny particles through the gut wall and concentrating them in organs, but interestingly the nanoplastics also weakened the bacteria's ability to cause infection, showing that plastic-pathogen interactions in seafood are complex and two-directional.
Nanoplastics (NPs) and pathogenic bacteria are widely present in natural water, yet their interactive effects on aquatic organisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that Vibrio parahaemolyticus can extensively capture free NPs and facilitate their translocation through the intestinal barrier of Litopenaeus vannamei, thereby altering the distribution of NPs within shrimp and exacerbating their accumulation in the hepatopancreas. These findings provide the first evidence that bacteria act as carriers of NPs influencing their translocation. Interestingly, NPs also affect V. parahaemolyticus infection in shrimp by attenuating the virulence of pathogen, as evidenced by downregulated expression of virulence genes (Tdh and Trh), reduced bacterial loads, and improved host survival rates. Single-cell transcriptomics analysis revealed that NPs activate both energy metabolism and immune pathways, collectively enhancing the host's antioxidative capacity and immunocompetence. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms of NPs-pathogen-host interactions and provide critical data for assessing the ecological risks of plastic pollution to seafood safety.
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Combined polyvinyl chloride microplastic exposure and Vibrio parahaemolyticus challenge are associated with hepatopancreatic injury and production losses in Pacific white shrimp
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Shrimp exposed to microplastic particles and a common bacterial pathogen together suffered more liver and gut damage, and died at much higher rates, than shrimp exposed to either alone. This suggests microplastic pollution in shrimp farms could worsen disease outbreaks, potentially affecting seafood supply and safety, though more testing is needed to confirm the particles involved and their exact role.
The Effect of Microplastic Ingestion on Survival of the Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes pugio (Holthuis, 1949) Challenged with Vibrio campbellii
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Grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) that had ingested microplastics showed increased mortality when subsequently challenged with the marine pathogen Vibrio campbellii compared to shrimp that had not ingested plastics. This finding suggests that microplastic ingestion can compromise immune defenses in marine crustaceans, making them more vulnerable to bacterial infections.
Microplastics make shrimp more vulnerable to deadly disease
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Researchers found that microplastic exposure makes larval shrimp significantly more susceptible to a deadly viral disease by prolonging virus survival in the environment and weakening the shrimp's immune defenses, with implications for seafood industry losses and the health of aquatic ecosystems.
Involvement of Microplastics in the Conflict Between Host Immunity Defense and Viral Virulence: Promoting the Susceptibility of Shrimp to WSSV Infection
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Researchers found that PVC microplastics made shrimp significantly more vulnerable to white spot syndrome virus, a devastating disease in aquaculture, by suppressing their immune defenses. The microplastics interacted with the virus to prolong its survival and triggered changes in the shrimp's fat metabolism that weakened a key immune signaling pathway. This study demonstrates how microplastic pollution in coastal waters could increase disease outbreaks in seafood species, potentially affecting both food supply and food safety for humans.
Dangerous hitchhikers? Evidence for potentially pathogenic Vibrio spp. on microplastic particles
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Researchers tested whether marine microplastics carry potentially pathogenic Vibrio bacteria, finding Vibrio species on microplastic surfaces in seawater, raising concerns about plastics as vehicles for transporting harmful bacteria in marine environments.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.