Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025
Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Particulate matter composition drives differential molecular and morphological responses in lung epithelial cells
Sean M Engels1, Pratik Kamat2, G Stavros Pafilis1
1McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Abstract:
Particulate matter (PM) is a ubiquitous component of air pollution that is epidemiologically linked to human pulmonary diseases. PM chemical composition varies widely, and the development of high-throughput experimental techniques enables direct profiling of cellular effects using compositionally unique PM mixtures. Here, we show that in a human bronchial epithelial cell model, exposure to three chemically distinct PM mixtures drive unique cell viability patterns, transcriptional remodeling, and the emergence of distinct morphological subtypes. Specifically, PM mixtures modulate cell viability, DNA damage responses, and induce the remodeling of gene expression associated with cell morphology, extracellular matrix organization, and cellular motility. Profiling cellular responses showed that cell morphologies change in a PM composition-dependent manner. Finally, we observed that PM mixtures with higher cadmium content induced increased DNA damage and drove redistribution among morphological subtypes. Our results demonstrate that quantitative measurement of individual cellular morphologies provides a robust, high-throughput approach to gauge the effects of environmental stressors on biological systems and score cellular susceptibilities to pollution.
Insights
Particulate matter (PM) pollution impacts lung cells uniquely based on its chemical makeup. Measuring cell shape changes offers a new way to assess pollution
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Particulate matter (PM) is a widespread air pollutant linked to lung diseases.
- PM's chemical composition varies, influencing its biological effects.
- High-throughput methods allow detailed analysis of PM's cellular impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how chemically distinct PM mixtures affect human bronchial epithelial cells.
- To identify unique cellular responses, including viability, gene expression, and morphology.
- To establish morphology profiling as a method for assessing environmental stressor effects.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells to three distinct PM mixtures.
- Analysis of cell viability, DNA damage, and transcriptional changes.
- High-throughput profiling of cellular morphology and subtype distribution.
Main Results:
- Different PM mixtures induced unique patterns in cell viability and gene expression.
- PM exposure remodeled genes related to cell morphology, extracellular matrix, and motility.
- Cellular morphology shifted distinctly based on PM composition, with cadmium-rich PM increasing DNA damage.
Conclusions:
- Cellular morphology profiling is a robust, high-throughput method to evaluate environmental stressor impacts.
- This approach can effectively gauge cellular susceptibility to air pollution.
- PM composition dictates specific cellular responses and morphological changes.
More Related Videos
08:42Isolating Bronchial Epithelial Cells from Resected Lung Tissue for Biobanking and Establishing Well-Differentiated Air-Liquid Interface Cultures
Published on: May 26, 2023
09:27Multicellular Human Alveolar Model Composed of Epithelial Cells and Primary Immune Cells for Hazard Assessment
Published on: May 6, 2020
