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Updated: May 31, 2026
Purification of Transcripts and Metabolites from Drosophila Heads
Published on: March 15, 2013
Physio-transcriptomic perspectives on midgut structural disruption and metabolic imbalance underlying neodymium oxide
Lingzhi Chen1, Jiaxin Yin1, Wangan Li1
1Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China.
Abstract:
The Bombyx mori (B. mori) is an economically important insect and toxicological model. Neodymium oxide (Nd₂O₃), a widely used rare earth oxide, has unclear biological effects. Fifth-instar B. mori larvae were exposed to Nd₂O₃ (0-3.2 μg/μL), and growth, oxidative stress, midgut morphology, and transcriptomic profiles were evaluated. High-concentration exposure inhibited weight gain and induced oxidative stress. This was evidenced by elevated ROS, reduced SOD activity, and GSH depletion. Histopathology and TEM revealed the midgut as a primary target, showing epithelial thinning, villus disruption, mitochondrial swelling, and vacuolization. RNA-seq identified 922 differentially expressed genes. RT-qPCR validated the dysregulation of representative metabolism-related DEGs, including fatty acid metabolism-associated BMSK0006934 (BglB) and BMSK0009525 (uncharacterized metabolism-related gene), PPAR signaling-related BMSK0003301 (Scd3) and BMSK0011688 (Pepck), and cholesterol digestion-related BMSK0004756 (ALLC) and BMSK0003704 (Tryp_SPc). Conserved domain analysis confirmed these genes encode critical metabolic enzymes (Δ9-desaturase, PEPCK, allantoinase). Our findings demonstrate that Nd₂O₃ impairs B. mori growth through oxidative stress, midgut structural damage, and transcriptomic reprogramming of metabolic pathways. This study provides new insights into the ecotoxicology of rare earth oxides.
