Proteomic analysis revealed gender-specific responses of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to trichloropropyl phosphate (TCPP) exposure

Mingyu Zhong; Huifeng Wu; Fei Li; Xiujuan Shan; Chenglong Ji

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115537

Proteomic analysis revealed gender-specific responses of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to trichloropropyl phosphate (TCPP) exposure

Environ Pollut. 2020 Dec:267:115537. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115537. Epub 2020 Aug 29.

Authors

Mingyu Zhong¹, Huifeng Wu², Fei Li³, Xiujuan Shan⁴, Chenglong Ji⁵

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, 264003, PR China.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, 264003, PR China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, PR China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, PR China. Electronic address: hfwu@yic.ac.cn.
³ CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, 264003, PR China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, PR China.
⁴ Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, PR China.
⁵ CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, 264003, PR China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, PR China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, PR China.

PMID: 32892020
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115537

Abstract

Trichloropropyl phosphate (TCPP) is a halogenated organophosphate ester that is widely used as flame retardants and plasticizers. In this study, gender-specific accumulation and responses in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis to TCPP exposure were focused and highlighted. After TCPP (100 nmol L^-1) exposure for 42 days, male mussels showed similar average bioaccumulation (37.14 ± 6.09 nmol g^-1 fat weight (fw)) of TCPP with that in female mussels (32.28 ± 4.49 nmol g^-1 fw). Proteomic analysis identified 219 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between male and female mussels in control group. There were 52 and 54 DEPs induced by TCPP in male and female mussels, respectively. Interestingly, gender-specific DEPs included 37 and 41 DEPs induced by TCPP in male and female mussels, respectively. The proteomic differences between male and female mussels were related to protein synthesis and degradation, energy metabolism, and functions of cytoskeleton and motor proteins. TCPP influenced protein synthesis, energy metabolism, cytoskeleton functions, immunity, and reproduction in both male and female mussels. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks indicated that protein synthesis and energy metabolism were the main biological processes influenced by TCPP. However, DEPs involved in these processes and their interaction patterns were quite different between male and female mussels. Basically, twelve ribosome DEPs which directly or indirectly interacted were found in protein synthesis in TCPP-exposed male mussels, while only 3 ribosome DEPs (not interacted) in TCPP-exposed female mussels. In energy metabolism, only 4 DEPs (with the relatively simple interaction pattern) mainly resided in fatty acid metabolism, butanoate/propanoate metabolism and glucose metabolism were discovered in TCPP-exposed male mussels, and more DEPs (with multiple interactions) functioned in TCA cycle and pyruvate/glyoxylate/dicarboxylate metabolism were found in TCCP-exposed female mussels. Taken together, TCPP induced gender-specific toxicological effects in mussels, which may shed new lights on further understanding the toxicological mechanisms of TCPP in aquatic organisms.

Keywords: Gender-specific effects; Mytilus galloprovincialis; Proteomics; Trichloropropyl phosphate (TCPP); iTRAQ.

MeSH terms

Animals
Female
Flame Retardants*
Male
Mytilus*
Phosphates
Proteomics
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity

Substances

Flame Retardants
Phosphates
Water Pollutants, Chemical