Microplastic-induced apoptosis and metabolism responses in marine Dinoflagellate, Karenia mikimotoi

Ting Zhao; Liju Tan; Xiaotian Han; Xutao Wang; Yafeng Zhang; Xiaofeng Ma; Kun Lin; Rui Wang; Ziqi Ni; Jiayin Wang; Jiangtao Wang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150252

Microplastic-induced apoptosis and metabolism responses in marine Dinoflagellate, Karenia mikimotoi

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Jan 15:804:150252. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150252. Epub 2021 Sep 9.

Authors

Ting Zhao¹, Liju Tan², Xiaotian Han³, Xutao Wang⁴, Yafeng Zhang⁴, Xiaofeng Ma⁵, Kun Lin², Rui Wang², Ziqi Ni², Jiayin Wang², Jiangtao Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Eco-Environmental Monitoring and Research Center, Pearl River Valley and South China Sea Ecology and Environment Administration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, PCR, Guangzhou 510610, China.
² Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
³ Changjiang River Estuary Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
⁴ Eco-Environmental Monitoring and Research Center, Pearl River Valley and South China Sea Ecology and Environment Administration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, PCR, Guangzhou 510610, China.
⁵ SCIEX China, Shanghai 200233, China.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China. Electronic address: jtwang@ouc.edu.cn.

PMID: 34798757
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150252

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) occur widely in marine environments, and disturb the balance of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, programmed cell apoptosis in marine dinoflagellate, Karenia mikimotoi exposed to 10 mg L^-1 micro/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs; polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate) for 72 h was assessed. Prior to the toxicity assay, MPs/NPs were dialyzed to remove possible additives. Cell viability, membrane integrity, cell apoptosis, and total DNA concentration were measured to assess programmed cell apoptosis in K. mikimotoi following exposure to MPs/NPs. A transcriptome analysis was used to explore the potential toxic mechanism of MPs to K. mikimotoi. Programmed cell apoptosis was related to the size of MPs/NPs, and NPs could more easily impair cell viability, and reduced cell membrane integrity and DNA concentration. NP particles caused continuous apoptosis of K. mikimotoi compared to MP particles. Size had the greatest effect on toxicity in K. mikimotoi. In conclusion, the results evidenced that both MPs and NPs have a negative impact on the marine dinoflagellate, K. mikimotoi. However, NPs were more harmful to K mikimotoi than MPs, highlighting the potential ecological problems associated with exposure to NPs.

Keywords: Cell apoptosis; Cell viability; DNA concentration; Membrane integrity; Micro/nano-scaled plastics; Transcriptome analysis.

MeSH terms

Apoptosis
Dinoflagellida*
Ecosystem
Microplastics
Plastics

Substances

Microplastics
Plastics