We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Intracellular Protein Adsorption Behavior and Biological Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in THP-1 Cells
Summary
Researchers discovered that polystyrene nanoplastics enter human immune cells and adsorb hundreds of intracellular proteins, disrupting important cellular processes including energy metabolism and protein folding. The nanoplastics were taken into cells through a specific pathway called clathrin-mediated endocytosis and interfered with normal protein function once inside. This study provides new molecular-level evidence for how nanoplastics could harm human health by disrupting the internal machinery of immune cells.
Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) are emerging pollutants that can adsorb pollutants in the environment and biological molecules and ultimately affect human health. However, the aspects of adsorption of intracellular proteins onto MNPs and its biological effects in cells have not been investigated to date. The present study revealed that 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (NPs) could be internalized by THP-1 cells and specifically adsorbed intracellular proteins. In total, 773 proteins adsorbed onto NPs with high reliability were identified using the proteomics approach and analyzed via bioinformatics to predict the route and distribution of NPs following cellular internalization. The representative proteins identified via the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were further investigated to characterize protein adsorption onto NPs and its biological effects. The analysis revealed that NPs affect glycolysis through pyruvate kinase M (PKM) adsorption, trigger the unfolded protein response through the adsorption of ribophorin 1 (RPN1) and heat shock 70 protein 8 (HSPA8), and are chiefly internalized into cells through clathrin-mediated endocytosis with concomitant clathrin heavy chain (CLTC) adsorption. Therefore, this work provides new insights and research strategies for the study of the biological effects caused by NPs.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Polystyrene nanoplastics dysregulate lipid metabolism in murine macrophages in vitro
Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on immune cell metabolism and found that macrophages exposed to nanoplastics transformed into lipid-laden foam cells. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure dysregulates lipid metabolism in immune cells, with implications for understanding how these particles may interact with the immune system at the cellular level.
Polystyrene nanoplastics induce profound metabolic shift in human cells as revealed by integrated proteomic and metabolomic analysis
Researchers used integrated proteomic and metabolomic analysis to study how polystyrene nanoplastics affect human kidney and liver cell lines. The study quantified changes in thousands of proteins and hundreds of metabolites, revealing that nanoplastic exposure induced a profound metabolic shift in human cells. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics can be internalized by human cells and trigger significant biological changes at the molecular level.
Toxicological profiling of polystyrene microplastics in raw 264.7 macrophages: Linking microplastic exposure to immune cell impairment
Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages to polystyrene microplastics and found that the cells rapidly absorbed the particles within two hours. Higher concentrations caused mitochondrial damage, disrupted cellular recycling processes, and triggered inflammation-related signaling. The study provides evidence that microplastics can impair the function of key immune cells responsible for defending the body against foreign threats.
Cell uptake of mixtures of different-sized nanoplastics: Interplay and mechanism
Researchers studied how two sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics interact during cellular uptake, finding that larger 100 nm particles can pull smaller 50 nm particles into cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, while smaller particles alter the protein corona of larger ones in serum, either enhancing or inhibiting uptake depending on concentration ratios.
Polystyrene nanoplastics affect the human ubiquitin structure and ubiquitination in cells: a high-resolution study
Using NMR and TEM analyses, polystyrene nanoplastics were shown to form a hard protein corona with human ubiquitin and to impair ubiquitination in HeLa cells, revealing a potential mechanism by which nanoplastic exposure disrupts protein degradation pathways in human cells.