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The adverse impact of microplastics and their attached pathogen on hemocyte function and antioxidative response in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Researchers examined how microplastics carrying pathogenic bacteria affect the immune system of mussels. They found that while microplastics alone caused moderate immune cell disruption, the combination of microplastics and Vibrio bacteria significantly weakened antioxidant defenses and triggered cell death in mussel blood cells. The study demonstrates that microplastics can act as a "Trojan horse," delivering harmful pathogens into marine organisms and amplifying their toxic effects.
Microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed in marine environments, and they are easily attached by various microorganisms, including pathogenic bacteria. When bivalves mistakenly eat MPs, pathogenic bacteria attached to MPs enter their bodies through the Trojan horse effect, causing adverse effects. In this study, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was exposed to aged polymethylmethacrylate MPs (PMMA-MPs, 20 μm) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus attached to PMMA-MPs to explore the effect of synergistic exposure by measuring lysosomal membrane stability, ROS content, phagocytosis, apoptosis in hemocytes, antioxidative enzyme activities and apoptosis-related gene expression in gills and digestive glands. The results showed that MP exposure alone did not cause significant oxidative stress in mussels, but after long-term coexposure to MPs and V. parahaemolyticus, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were significantly inhibited in the gills of mussels. Both single MP exposure and coexposure will affect hemocyte function. Coexposure can induce hemocytes to produce higher ROS, improve phagocytosis, significantly reduce the stability of the lysosome membrane, and induce the expression of apoptosis-related genes, causing apoptosis of hemocytes compared with single MP exposure. Our results demonstrate that MPs attached to pathogenic bacteria have stronger toxic effects on mussels, which also suggests that MPs with pathogenic bacteria might have an influence on the immune system and cause disease in mollusks. Thus, MPs may mediate the transmission of pathogens in marine environments, posing a threat to marine animals and human health. This study provides a scientific basis for the ecological risk assessment of MP pollution in marine environments.
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Potential threats of microplastics and pathogenic bacteria to the immune system of the mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis
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This study found that microplastics weakened the immune system of Mediterranean mussels, making them more vulnerable to bacterial infections from Vibrio, a common marine pathogen. Long-term microplastic exposure drained the mussels' energy reserves and suppressed their immune defenses, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. Since these mussels are widely consumed as seafood, microplastic-driven disease susceptibility could affect both mussel populations and the safety of shellfish for human consumption.
Combined effects of polyamide microplastics and the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus on the immune parameters of Mytilus coruscus
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When mussels were exposed to nylon microplastics along with harmful Vibrio bacteria, they suffered gill damage, increased oxidative stress, and weakened immune defenses compared to either stressor alone. The combined exposure suppressed key immune enzymes that mussels need to fight infection. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, this study raises concerns that microplastic-contaminated shellfish could carry more pathogens and be less safe to eat.
In Vitro Effects of Mercury (Hg) on the Immune Function of Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus Galloprovincialis) Are Enhanced in Presence of Microplastics in the Extracellular Medium
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Researchers investigated whether the presence of microplastics in seawater amplifies mercury toxicity in Mediterranean mussels by acting as a vector for metal accumulation. They found that microplastics enhanced mercury uptake in mussel immune cells, supporting the Trojan horse hypothesis that plastic particles deliver concentrated doses of co-contaminants to filter feeders. The study raises concern about the combined toxicity of microplastics and heavy metals in marine organisms.
Exposure to microplastics renders immunity of the thick-shell mussel more vulnerable to diarrhetic shellfish toxin-producing harmful algae
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Researchers found that mussels previously exposed to microplastics became more vulnerable to toxic algae blooms, suffering greater immune system damage than mussels without prior microplastic exposure. The microplastics weakened the mussels' defenses by causing oxidative stress, cell death, and energy depletion, leaving them less able to fight off the algal toxins. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, this combined threat could affect both marine ecosystems and food safety for humans.
Nanoplastics: From tissue accumulation to cell translocation into Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes. resilience of immune cells exposed to nanoplastics and nanoplastics plus Vibrio splendidus combination
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Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes accumulate in and affect the immune cells of Mediterranean mussels. They found that the smallest nanoparticles quickly moved from the digestive system into the bloodstream and were taken up by immune cells, altering their function including motility and the ability to produce reactive oxygen species. However, the immune cells showed resilience by recovering their ability to fight bacterial infection after nanoplastic exposure.
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