Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal the toxic mechanisms of mercury exposure to an endangered species Tachypleus tridentatus

Mujiao Xie; Yuyuan Bao; Xiaoyong Xie; Ziwei Ying; Guoling Ye; Chunhou Li; Qingyang Guo; Wanling Zhang; Zimeng Luo

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2023.104345

Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal the toxic mechanisms of mercury exposure to an endangered species Tachypleus tridentatus

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2024 Jan:105:104345. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104345. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

Authors

Mujiao Xie¹, Yuyuan Bao², Xiaoyong Xie³, Ziwei Ying⁴, Guoling Ye⁴, Chunhou Li⁵, Qingyang Guo⁴, Wanling Zhang⁴, Zimeng Luo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China.
² Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Guangdong Center for Marine Development Research, Guangzhou 510322, China.
³ Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Sanya Tropical Fisheries Research Institute, Sanya 570203, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China. Electronic address: xyxie@scsfri.ac.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Sanya Tropical Fisheries Research Institute, Sanya 570203, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.

PMID: 38103811
DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104345

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) pollution is threatening the health of endangered Tachypleus tridentatus whereas the toxic mechanism is still unclear. This study combined transcriptomic and metabolomics technology to reveal the toxic mechanisms of mercury (Hg ²⁺, 0.025 mg/L) exposing to T. tridentatus larvae for 15 days. Mercury induced cellular toxicity and cardiovascular dysfunction by dysregulating the genes related to endocrine system, such as polyubiquitin-A, cathepsin B, atrial natriuretic peptide, etc. Mercury induced lipid metabolic disorder with the abnormal increase of lysoPC, leukotriene D4, and prostaglandin E2. Cytochrome P450 pathway was activated to produce anti-inflammatory substances to reconstruct the homeostasis. Mercury also inhibited arginine generation, which may affect the development of T. tridentatus by disrupting the crucial signaling pathway. The mercury methylation caused enhancement of S-adenosylmethionine to meet the need of methyl donor. The mechanisms described in present study provide new insight into the risk assessment of mercury exposure to T. tridentatus.

Keywords: Endangered species; Mercury pollution; Omics; Tachypleus tridentatus; Toxic mechanisms.

MeSH terms

Animals
Endangered Species
Gene Expression Profiling
Horseshoe Crabs* / chemistry
Horseshoe Crabs* / genetics
Mercury*
Transcriptome

Substances

Mercury