Transcriptomic responses of Antarctic clam Laternula elliptica to nanoparticles, at single and combined exposures reveal ecologically relevant biomarkers

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
• Main Authors: Rondon, Rodolfo, Valdés, Catalina, Cosseau, Celine, Bergami, Elisa, Cárdenas, César Antonio, Balbi, Teresa, Pérez-Toledo, Carolina, Garrido, Ignacio, Perrois, Garance, Chaparro, Cristian, Corre, Erwan, Corsi, Ilaria, González-Aravena, Marcelo
• Other Authors: The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE), Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia = University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli studi di Genova = University of Genoa (UniGe), Universidad Austral de Chile, Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds (BEEP), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ABiMS - Informatique et bioinformatique = Analysis and Bioinformatics for Marine Science (ABIMS), Fédération de recherche de Roscoff (FR2424), Station biologique de Roscoff = Roscoff Marine Station (SBR), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Station biologique de Roscoff = Roscoff Marine Station (SBR), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Environmental Sciences “G. Sarfatti”, Università degli Studi di Siena = University of Siena (UNISI)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2024
• Subjects: Nanoplastic; nanomaterials; toxicity; gene expression; biomarkers; Antarctic benthos; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; [SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology; [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04615510; https://hal.science/hal-04615510/document; https://hal.science/hal-04615510/file/Rondon-2024-EcotoxEnvironSaf-Transcriptomic-MANUSCRIT.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116523

International audience In recent years micro- and nanoplastics and metal-oxide nanomaterials have been found in several environmental compartments. The Antarctic soft clam Laternula elliptica is an endemic Antarctic species having a wide distribution in the Southern Ocean. Being a filter-feeder, it could act as suitable bioindicator of pollution from nanoparticles also considering its sensitivity to various sources of stress. The present study aims to assess the impact of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NP) and the nanometal titanium-dioxide (n-TiO2) on genome-wide transcript expression of L. elliptica either alone and in combination and at two toxicological relevant concentrations (5 and 50 µg/L) during 96 h exposure. Transcript-target qRT-PCR was performed with the aim to identify suitable biomarkers of exposure and effects. As expected, at the highest concentration tested, the clustering was clearer between control and exposed clams. A total of 221 genes resulted differentially expressed in exposed clams and control ones, and 21 of them had functional annotation such as ribosomal proteins, antioxidant, ion transport (osmoregulation), acid-base balance, immunity, lipid metabolism, cell adhesion, cytoskeleton, apoptosis, chromatin condensation and cell signaling. At functional level, relevant transcripts were shared among some treatments and could be considered as general stress due to nanoparticle exposure. After applying transcript-target approach duplicating the number of clam samples, four ecologically relevant transcripts were revealed as biomarkers for PS-NP, n-TiO2 and their combination at 50 µg/L, that could be used for monitoring clams’ health status in different Antarctic localities.