We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Response to microplastic exposure: An exploration into the sea urchin immune cell proteome
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed sea urchins to polystyrene microbeads at various concentrations and analyzed immune cell protein profiles using proteomics. The study found that microplastic exposure altered immune cell protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner, with higher concentrations leading to particle internalization in tissues and changes to proteins involved in metabolism and stress responses.
It is now known that the Mediterranean Sea currently is one of the major hotspot for microplastics (MPs; < 5 mm) pollution and that the risks will be even more pronounced in the coming years. Thus, the in-depth study of the mechanisms underlying the MPs toxicity in key Mediterranean organisms, subjected to high anthropic pressures, has become a categorical imperative to pursue. Here, we explore for the first time the sea urchins immune cells profile combined to their proteome upon in vivo exposure (72 h) to different concentrations of polystyrene-microbeads (micro-PS) starting from relevant environmental concentrations (10, 50, 10, 10 MP/L). Every 24 h, immunological parameters were monitored. After 72 h, the abundance of MPs was examined in various organs and coelomocytes were collected for proteomic analysis based on a shotgun label free proteomic approach. While sea urchins treated with the lowest concentration tested (10 and 50 micro-PS/L) did not show the presence of micro-PS in any tissue, in the specimens exposed to the highest concentration (10 and 10 micro-PS) there was an internalisation of 9.75 ± 2.75 and 113.75 ± 34.5 MP/g, respectively. Proteomic analyses revealed that MPs exposure altered coelomocytes protein profile not only compared to the control group but also among the different micro-PS concentrations and these variations are micro-PS concentration dependent. The proteins exclusively expressed in the coelomocytes of specimens exposed to MPs are mainly metabolite interconversion enzymes, involved in cellular processes, indicating a severe alteration of the cellular metabolic pathways. Overall, these findings provide new insights on the mode of action of MPs in the sea urchin immune cells both at the molecular and cellular level.
More Papers Like This
First evidence of protein modulation by polystyrene microplastics in a freshwater biological model
AI summary Read the abstract
Zebra mussels were exposed to polystyrene microbeads (1 and 10 μm) for 6 days and analyzed by mass spectrometry-based proteomics, with both particle sizes producing significant changes in protein expression linked to oxidative stress, immune function, and cellular structure. The study provides the first proteomic evidence that microplastics disrupt molecular pathways in a freshwater bivalve model organism.
How sea urchins face microplastics: Uptake, tissue distribution and immune system response
AI summary Read the abstract
Sea urchins exposed to polystyrene microplastics showed particle uptake across multiple tissues (including coelom and gonads), dose-dependent changes in immune cell populations, and elevated oxidative stress, with smaller particles causing greater harm than larger ones.
Unveiling the molecular mechanisms of size-dependent effect of polystyrene micro/nano-plastics on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii through proteomic profiling
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used proteomic profiling to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind how different sizes of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. They found that particle size plays a critical role in determining the type and severity of biological responses in the algae. The study suggests that nanoscale plastic particles may pose distinct ecological risks compared to larger microplastics due to their ability to trigger different cellular stress pathways.
Microplastics induce dose-specific transcriptomic disruptions in energy metabolism and immunity of the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera
AI summary Read the abstract
Pearl oysters (Pinctada margaritifera) exposed to three doses of polystyrene microbeads showed dose-dependent reductions in energy balance, and transcriptomic analysis revealed disruptions to pathways controlling immunity and energy metabolism that scaled with exposure concentration.
Interplay Between Nanoplastics and the Immune System of the Mediterranean Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed immune cells (coelomocytes) of the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to carboxylated polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the NPs were internalized by phagocytosis, activated oxidative stress responses, and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, demonstrating direct immune cell toxicity.
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.