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The impacts of PVC microplastics on physiology and transcriptomic responses of pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii
Summary
Pearl oysters (Pinctada fucata martensii) exposed to PVC microplastics for 10 days showed elevated superoxide dismutase activity and significant transcriptomic changes across multiple biological pathways, with oxidative stress partially reversing during a 6-day recovery period. The disruption of antioxidant defenses and broad gene expression changes in commercially farmed oysters at environmentally relevant PVC concentrations raises concerns about microplastic impacts on aquaculture productivity and the safety of shellfish consumed by humans.
Microplastics (MPs), particularly polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVC MPs) have become a notable environmental pollutant that affect various marine organisms such as Pinctada fucata martensii. As filter feeders, these bivalves consume significant volumes of water containing MPs, leading to contact with and ingestion of MPs. Moreover, given the ecological and economic importance of P. f. martensii in artificial pearl production, investigating the effects of PVC MPs exposure is crucial. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PVC MPs exposure on nucleus retention, pearl formation, oxidative stress by examining superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) of P. f. martensii, while also exploring transcriptomic changes at different concentrations and exposure time points, including a recovery period. The pearl oysters were exposed to PVC MPs at concentrations of 1-, 2.5-, and 5-mg PVC MPs/L for 10 d followed by 6 d of recovery. After 1-, 4-, 10-d of exposure, and additional 6 d of recovery, samples were taken and analyzed. Findings revealed that only prolonged exposure (10 d) to PVC MPs affected SOD activity, while CAT activity, LPO, and TAOC remained unaffected throughout the experiment. Notably, SOD activity was restored during the 6-d recovery phase. Transcriptome analysis highlighted significant gene alterations linked to various pathways, affecting cellular processes, environmental information processing, genetic information processing, metabolism, and organismal systems, with an increase in pathway-related genes during recovery, implying a potential role of PVC MPs as gene inhibitors. This study provided insights into the effects of PVC MPs on P. f. martensii, shedding light on pearl retention, oxidative systems, and molecular pathways influenced by PVC MPs. Additionally, it contributed novel information on potential MPs exposure biomarkers, particularly relevant to marine organisms like P. f. martensii.