Transcriptomic Insights into Micro- and Nanoplastic Toxicity in Zebrafish: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Environmental Toxicology
• Molecular Biology
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are significant environmental pollutants.
• Aquatic organisms, including zebrafish, ingest MNPs, which can breach biological barriers like the blood-brain barrier.
• Zebrafish are a key model organism for ecotoxicological studies due to their genetic homology with humans and ease of use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and classify existing studies on MNP exposure in zebrafish.
• To summarize gene expression alterations induced by MNPs in various zebrafish organ systems.
• To focus on high-throughput transcriptomic approaches for understanding MNP toxicity mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of scientific literature.
• Classification of studies based on affected organ systems in zebrafish.
• Analysis of gene expression data, including RNA sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing.

Main Results:

• MNP exposure impacts multiple zebrafish organ systems: brain, eyes, liver, intestine, gills, and reproductive system.
• MNPs induce adverse biological effects such as oxidative stress and inflammation.
• Transcriptomic analysis reveals molecular mechanisms underlying MNP toxicity.

Conclusions:

• MNPs pose a considerable ecotoxicological threat, affecting zebrafish at multiple biological levels.
• Gene expression analysis, particularly high-throughput methods, is crucial for elucidating MNP-induced toxicity pathways.
• Further research using zebrafish models can inform risk assessment and mitigation strategies for MNP pollution.