An ancestral molecular response to nanomaterial particulates

G Del Giudice; A Serra; L A Saarimäki; K Kotsis; I Rouse; S A Colibaba; K Jagiello; A Mikolajczyk; M Fratello; A G Papadiamantis; N Sanabria; M E Annala; J Morikka; P A S Kinaret; E Voyiatzis; G Melagraki; A Afantitis; K Tämm; T Puzyn; M Gulumian; V Lobaskin; I Lynch; A Federico; D Greco

doi:10.1038/s41565-023-01393-4

An ancestral molecular response to nanomaterial particulates

Nat Nanotechnol. 2023 Aug;18(8):957-966. doi: 10.1038/s41565-023-01393-4. Epub 2023 May 8.

Authors

G Del Giudice¹, A Serra^{1

2}, L A Saarimäki¹, K Kotsis³, I Rouse³, S A Colibaba³, K Jagiello^{4

5}, A Mikolajczyk^{4

5}, M Fratello¹, A G Papadiamantis^{6

7}, N Sanabria^{8

9}, M E Annala¹, J Morikka¹, P A S Kinaret^{1

10}, E Voyiatzis⁷, G Melagraki¹¹, A Afantitis⁷, K Tämm¹², T Puzyn^{4

5}, M Gulumian^{8

13

14}, V Lobaskin³, I Lynch⁶, A Federico^{1

2}, D Greco^{15

16

17}

Affiliations

¹ FHAIVE, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
² Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, Tampere, Finland.
³ School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
⁴ Group of Environmental Chemoinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
⁵ QSAR Lab Ltd, Gdańsk, Poland.
⁶ School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
⁷ Novamechanics Ltd, Nicosia, Cyprus.
⁸ National Institute for Occupational Health, National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa.
⁹ School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
¹⁰ Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLife), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
¹¹ Division of Physical Sciences and Applications, Hellenic Military Academy, Vari, Greece.
¹² Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
¹³ Haematology and Molecular Medicine Department, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
¹⁴ Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
¹⁵ FHAIVE, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. dario.greco@tuni.fi.
¹⁶ Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLife), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. dario.greco@tuni.fi.
¹⁷ Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. dario.greco@tuni.fi.

Abstract

The varied transcriptomic response to nanoparticles has hampered the understanding of the mechanism of action. Here, by performing a meta-analysis of a large collection of transcriptomics data from various engineered nanoparticle exposure studies, we identify common patterns of gene regulation that impact the transcriptomic response. Analysis identifies deregulation of immune functions as a prominent response across different exposure studies. Looking at the promoter regions of these genes, a set of binding sites for zinc finger transcription factors C₂H₂, involved in cell stress responses, protein misfolding and chromatin remodelling and immunomodulation, is identified. The model can be used to explain the outcomes of mechanism of action and is observed across a range of species indicating this is a conserved part of the innate immune system.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Gene Expression Profiling
Nanostructures*
Plant Proteins
Transcription Factors / genetics
Transcription Factors / metabolism
Zinc Fingers* / genetics

Substances

Transcription Factors
Plant Proteins