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Impact of nanoplastics on hemolymph immune parameters and microbiota composition in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Marine Environmental Research 2020 93 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Manon Auguste, Aide Lasa, Teresa Balbi, Alberto Pallavicini, Luigi Vezzulli, Laura Canesi

Summary

Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels exposed to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics for 96 hours showed disrupted hemolymph immune parameters and significant shifts in microbiota composition, suggesting nanoplastics alter both immune function and the microbial communities mussels rely on.

Polymers
Body Systems
Study Type In vivo

Ocean contamination by micro- and nanoplastics represents a potential threat to marine biota, from bacterial communities to higher organisms. In this work, the effect of in vivo exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to amino modified nanopolystyrene (PS-NH) (10 μg/L, 96 h) on hemolymph immune parameters and microbiota composition were investigated. Nanoplastics significantly affected immune parameters (decreased phagocytosis, increased ROS and lysozyme activity, inhibition of NO production). These changes were associated with a shift in hemolymph microbiota composition, with increase in some genera (Arcobacter-like, Psychrobium, Vibrio), and decreases in others (Shewanella, Mycoplasma). The results indicate that exposure to nanoplastics can impact on the microbiome of marine bivalves, and suggest that downregulation of immune defences induced by PS-NH may favour potentially pathogenic bacteria. These data underline how exposure to nanoplastics may represent a potential threat to the complex interplay between innate immunity and host microbiota, thus affecting the homeostatic processes involved in maintenance of organism health.

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