Project description:The contamination of marine ecosystems with microplastics, such as the polymer polyethylene, a commonly used component of single-use packaging, is of global concern. Although it has been suggested that biodegradable polymers, such as polylactic acid, may be used to replace some polyethylene packaging, little is known about their effects on marine organisms. Blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, have become a “model organism” for investigating the effects of microplastics in marine ecosystems. We show here that repeated exposure, over a period of 52 days in an outdoor mesocosm setting, of M. edulis to polyethylene microplastics reduced the number of byssal threads produced and the attachment strength (tenacity) by ~50%. Exposure to either type of microplastic altered the haemolymph proteome and, although a conserved response to microplastic exposure was observed, overall polyethylene resulted in more changes to protein abundances than polylactic acid. Many of the proteins affected are involved in vital biological processes, such as immune- and stress- regulation, metabolism and cellular and structural development. Our study highlights the utility of mass spectrometry-based proteomics to assess the health of key marine organisms and identifies the potential mechanisms by which microplastics, both conventional and biodegradable, could affect their ability to form and maintain reefs.
2019-01-02 | PXD011567 | Pride
Project description:Distinct influence of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on soil microorganisms
| PRJNA1166957 | ENA
Project description:Response of soil property and microbial community to biodegradable PBAT microplastics, conventional PE microplastics and straw residue
Project description:Opioid analgesics are frequently prescribed in the United States and worldwide. However, serious side effects such as addiction, immunosuppression and gastrointestinal symptoms limit long term use. In the current study using a chronic morphine-murine model a longitudinal approach was undertaken to investigate the role of morphine modulation of gut microbiome as a mechanism contributing to the negative consequences associated with opioids use. The results revealed a significant shift in the gut microbiome and metabolome within 24 hours following morphine treatment when compared to placebo. Morphine induced gut microbial dysbiosis exhibited distinct characteristic signatures profiles including significant increase in communities associated with pathogenic function, decrease in communities associated with stress tolerance. Collectively, these results reveal opioids-induced distinct alteration of gut microbiome, may contribute to opioids-induced pathogenesis. Therapeutics directed at these targets may prolong the efficacy long term opioid use with fewer side effects.
Project description:Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics affect soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient
Project description:The pollution of the environment with microplastics has been recognized as an emerging threat worldwide. Due to an exponential increase in production of plastic over the last eight decades and its longevity in the environment, accumulating amounts of microplastic are polluting rivers, lakes and the ocean. Their entry pathways are diverse and still only incompletely understood. Since microplastics are usually defined smaller than 5 mm, it can be ingested by a wide range of aquatic organisms including teleost fish. There are different approaches to study the detrimental effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms. On the one hand, generic baseline parameters such as growth and mortality are regularly considered, often accompanied by established stress parameters such as cortisol, heat shock proteins or lipid oxidation. The conflicting findings to date suggest that these parameters might not be sensitive enough to indicate the physiological effects of environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations. For this reason, more sophisticated biological approaches could provide new insights into whether and how microplastics harm fish. To date, proteomic approaches have been used only sporadically when investigating the effects of microplastic exposure on aquatic organisms. So far, this approach has not been used to address potential microplastic impacts in fish. In the present study, a proteomic approach was trialed alongside established methods in an investigation of fish experiencing long-term exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics. Two groups of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss were exposed to microplastic concentrations and sizes currently encountered in wild fish and an increased concentration, expected to occur in the near future. These groups where compared to a control group maintained in MP free conditions. Five fish of each treatment were sampled at three time points (week 1, week 4, week 17). The experiments were performed in triplicates, resulting in 45 samples used in the proteomic analysis.
2022-08-08 | PXD033331 | Pride
Project description:Long-term exposure to microplastics released from plastic chopping boards elevates intestinal inflammation risk
| PRJNA1095893 | ENA
Project description:Long-term exposure to terbuthylazine