Development of a transcription-based bioanalytical tool to quantify the toxic potencies of hydrophilic compounds in water using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Joost A.G. Riksen¹  Cong Bao²  Mark G. Sterken³  Antoine Karengera⁴  H. Pieter J. van Veelen⁴  Jan E. Kammenga⁵  Inez J.T. Dinkla⁵  Albertinka J. Murk⁶ 

[1] Corresponding author at: Wageningen University, Department of Animal Sciences, Marine Animal Ecology Group, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.;Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands;Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Jiaxing, China;Wageningen University, Department of Animal Sciences, Marine Animal Ecology Group, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands;Wageningen University, Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Nematology, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands;Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands;

关键词: Caenorhabditis elegans;    Genotoxicants;    Bioanalytical tool;    Gene expression;    Hydrophilic;    Nematode;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Low concentrations of environmental contaminants can be difficult to detect with current analytical tools, yet they may pose a risk to human and environmental health. The development of bioanalytical tools can help to quantify toxic potencies of biologically active compounds even of hydrophilic contaminants that are hard to extract from water samples. In this study, we exposed the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans synchronized in larval stage L4 to hydrophilic compounds via the water phase and analyzed the effect on gene transcription abundance. The nematodes were exposed to three direct-acting genotoxicants (1 mM and 5 mM): N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), formaldehyde (HCHO), and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Genome-wide gene expression analysis using microarrays revealed significantly altered transcription levels of 495 genes for HCHO, 285 genes for ENU, and 569 genes for MMS in a concentration-dependent manner. A relatively high number of differentially expressed genes was downregulated, suggesting a general stress in nematodes treated with toxicants. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis demonstrated that the upregulated genes were primarily associated with metabolism, xenobiotic detoxification, proteotoxic stress, and innate immune response. Interestingly, genes downregulated by MMS were linked to the inhibition of neurotransmission, and this is in accordance with the observed decreased locomotion in MMS-exposed nematodes. Unexpectedly, the expression level of DNA damage response genes such as cell-cycle checkpoints or DNA-repair proteins were not altered. Overall, the current study shows that gene expression profiling of nematodes can be used to identify the potential mechanisms underlying the toxicity of chemical compounds. C. elegans is a promising test organism to further develop into a bioanalytical tool for quantification of the toxic potency of a wide array of hydrophilic contaminants.

【 授权许可】

Unknown