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Heterogeneity effects of nanoplastics and lead on zebrafish intestinal cells identified by single-cell sequencing
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Researchers used single-cell RNA sequencing to examine how polystyrene nanoplastics and lead individually and together affect different cell types in zebrafish intestines. They found that nanoplastics primarily affected macrophages while lead mostly impacted enterocytes, and the combined exposure showed synergistic effects specifically in goblet cells. The study reveals that population-average toxicity measurements can mask important cell-type-specific responses to environmental contaminants.
Plastic particles in water environment can adsorb heavy metals, leading to combined toxicity on aquatic organisms. However, current conclusions are mostly obtained based on cell population-average responses. Heterogeneity effects among cell populations in aquatic organisms remain unclear. This study firstly analyzed the basic toxic effects of 20 μg L, 200 μg L 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs), 50 μg L lead (Pb), and their combined exposures on zebrafish intestine. Results found that combined exposure of 200 μg L PS-NPs and 50 μg L Pb induced highest MDA, 8-OHdG, and TNF-α levels. Thus 200 μg L PS-NPs, 50 μg L Pb and their combined exposures were chosen to analyze the heterogeneity effects on zebrafish intestine cells by single-cell RNA sequencing. A total of 38,640 zebrafish intestinal cells were obtained and identified as seven cell populations, including enterocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, B cells, T cells, enteroendocrine cells, and goblet cells. 200 μg L PS-NPs exposure had the greatest influence on macrophages, while Pb exposure mostly influenced enterocytes. Results of MDA, 8-OHdG, and TNF-α analyses indicated that 20 μg L and 200 μg L PS-NPs increased the Pb toxicity. However, the scRNA-seq showed that the synergistic effects did not exist in most cell populations, except for goblet cells. Co-exposure of 200 μg L PS-NPs and Pb caused similar transcriptome profiles with 200 μg L PS-NPs exposure in macrophages, which changed immunological recognition and apoptosis processes. The Pb exposure influenced the macrophages by direct cytotoxicity. However, the Pb alone and combined exposures induced similar toxicities in the enterocytes, including the generation of oxidative stress and abnormality of lipid metabolism. This study shows the scRNA-seq is a powerful method to identify the target cell populations and corresponding toxic effects during combined exposure of pollutants.
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Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals heterogeneity of the patterns of responsive genes and cell communications in liver cell populations of zebrafish exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics
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Researchers used single-cell gene analysis to examine how polystyrene nanoplastics affect different cell types in zebrafish livers. They discovered that various liver cell populations responded to nanoplastic exposure in distinctly different ways, with some cell types showing more disruption to fat metabolism and stress response genes than others. The study reveals that nanoplastic toxicity in the liver is not uniform and that certain cell populations may be more vulnerable than previously understood.
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Size-Dependent Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Immune and Secretory Cell Populations from Zebrafish Intestines
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Researchers used single-cell RNA sequencing to examine how different sizes of polystyrene microplastics affect intestinal cell populations in zebrafish. The study revealed size-dependent effects on immune and secretory cell populations, providing a detailed transcriptomic view of how microplastics disrupt intestinal function at the individual cell level and alter the interplay between intestinal cells and gut microbiota.
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Profiling Cellular Heterogeneity and Specific Responses of Fish Gills to Microplastics and Nanoplastics
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Using advanced single-cell sequencing, researchers mapped how individual cell types in fish gills respond differently to micro- and nanoplastic exposure. Microplastics mainly affected immune cells called macrophages, while nanoplastics primarily targeted T cells, and a structural cell type called fibroblasts was especially sensitive to microplastics. This detailed cell-level view reveals that plastic particles of different sizes can trigger distinct immune and tissue responses.
Effects of Nanoplastics and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane on Early Zebrafish Embryos Identified by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing
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Researchers used single-cell RNA sequencing to study how polystyrene nanoplastics and the sunscreen chemical BMDBM affect early zebrafish embryo development. The study found that both pollutants targeted neural cells and disrupted brain development pathways, though combined exposure appeared to reduce some adverse effects compared to individual exposures, highlighting the complexity of nanoplastic interactions with co-occurring contaminants.
Single‐Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Hair Cell‐Specific Molecular Responses to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in a Zebrafish Embryo Model
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Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations and used single-cell RNA sequencing to identify hair cell-specific transcriptional changes in the inner ear, finding molecular-level effects without overt developmental phenotypes.
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