Comprehensive phenotyping and transcriptome profiling to study nanotoxicity in C. elegans

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Nanomaterial safety
• Model organism research

Background:

• Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly used in industry and medicine.
• Their health and environmental impacts are not fully understood.
• The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a suitable model for nanotoxicity studies due to its comprehensive phenotyping capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the toxic effects of silver (Ag) and five metal oxide nanoparticles (SiO2, CeO2, CuO, Al2O3, TiO2) on C. elegans.
• To compare the gene expression profiles underlying the toxicities of Ag and SiO2 nanoparticles.
• To elucidate the mechanistic insights into nanoparticle toxicity using C. elegans.

Main Methods:

• Exposure of C. elegans to Ag and metal oxide nanoparticles.
• Phenotypic analysis including locomotion velocity, growth, and reproduction.
• RNA sequencing (RNAseq) for gene expression profiling.
• Gene set enrichment analysis to identify affected biological processes and pathways.

Main Results:

• Ag and SiO2 nanoparticles exhibited the most significant toxicity on locomotion, growth, and reproduction.
• CeO2, Al2O3, and CuO nanoparticles primarily caused neurotoxic effects.
• RNAseq revealed consistent downregulation of locomotion, reproduction, and cell growth processes by Ag and SiO2.
• Opposite effects on innate immunity genes were observed for Ag and SiO2 exposures.
• Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, wnt, and MAPK signaling pathways were affected.

Conclusions:

• Ag and SiO2 nanoparticles have distinct toxicological profiles affecting C. elegans.
• C. elegans is a valuable and effective model for nanotoxicity assessment.
• Understanding nanoparticle toxicity mechanisms is crucial for safe industrial and medical applications.