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Pathway analysis of systemic transcriptome responses to injected polystyrene particles in zebrafish larvae
Wouter J Veneman1, Herman P Spaink2, Nadja R Brun3
1Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Aquatic Toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|July 14, 2017
Summary
Microplastics trigger immune responses in zebrafish larvae, activating the complement system and immune cells. This study reveals how these environmental contaminants affect organismal health and immunity.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Toxicology
- Immunology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Microplastics are emerging environmental contaminants with poorly understood effects on organisms.
- Limited knowledge exists regarding microplastic movement within organisms and their biological responses.
- Zebrafish embryos offer a model system to study early-life exposure effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the movement and biological responses of zebrafish embryos exposed to polystyrene (PS) microplastics.
- To identify molecular pathways affected by microplastic exposure in developing zebrafish.
- To explore the potential for developing an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) for microplastic toxicity.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of zebrafish embryos at different developmental stages to 700nm fluorescent PS particles.
- Particle distribution analysis using imaging techniques.
- Transcriptomic profiling to assess gene expression changes and identify activated biological pathways.
- Fluorescence microscopy to observe immune cell interactions with microplastics.
Main Results:
- Limited particle spreading observed after blastula-stage injection, contrasting with yolk injection in 2-day-old embryos.
- Yolk injection led to particle redistribution throughout the bloodstream and accumulation in the heart.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant systemic immune responses, including enrichment of the complement system (alternative pathway genes upregulated).
- Co-localization of neutrophils and macrophages around PS particles confirmed immune cell engagement.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish embryos exhibit robust systemic immune responses to microplastic exposure, notably involving the complement system.
- Microplastics are recognized by the immune system, as evidenced by immune cell interactions and complement activation.
- These findings provide foundational data for constructing an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) and inform ecological and human risk assessments.
