Project description:Transcriptomic fingerprints of C. elegans exposed to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with a monolayer of bovine serum albumin (BSA-SPIONs)
Project description:Transcriptomic fingerprints of C. elegans exposed to citrate coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (C-SPIONs) and to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with a monolayer of bovine serum albumin (BSA-SPIONs)
Project description:Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) are currently being investigated for a range of biomedical applications. Their use have been related with different cytotoxic mechanisms including the generation of oxidative stress and the induction of metal detoxification pathways, among others. We have investigated the molecular mechanisms responsive to in-house fabricated citrate coated SPIONs (C-SPIONs) in the nematode C. elegans to compare in vivo findings with previous in vitro studies. C-SPIONs (500 µg/ml) affected the transcriptional response of signal transduction cascades (i.e. TFG-beta), protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and RNA transport, among other biological processes. They also triggered a lysosomal response, indicating a relevant biological role of this cellular compartment in the response to this nanoparticle treatment in C. elegans. Interestingly, other pathways frequently linked to nanotoxicity like oxidative stress or apoptosis were not identified as significantly affected in this genome-wide in vivo study despite the high dose of exposure.
Project description:We used Au nanoparticles (Au-NPs) as a model for studying particle specific effects of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) by examining the toxicogenomic responses in a model soil organism, free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Global genome expression for nematodes exposed to 4-nm citrate-coated Au-NPs at the LC10 (5.9 mg L-1) revealed significant differential expression of 797 genes. The levels of expression for five genes (apl-1, dyn-1, act-5, abu-11, and hsp-4) were confirmed independently with qRT-PCR. Seven common biological pathways associated with 38 of these genes were identified. Activation of 26 pqn/abu genes from noncanonical Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) pathway and up-regulation of molecular chaperones (hsp-16.1, hsp-70, hsp-3 and hsp-4) were observed and are likely indicative of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Inhibition of abu-11 with RNAi showed increase in mortality in Au-NP exposed nematodes suggesting possible involvement of abu-11 (a gene associated with specific to C. elegans UPR) in a protective mechanism against Au-NPs. Exposure to Au-NPs also caused activation of genes involved in apoptosis and necrosis and resulted ultimately in 10% mortality. These results demonstrate that Au-NPs are bioavailable and cause adverse effects to a model ecoreceptor which activate both general and specific biological pathways. Age-synchronized L3 nematodes (about 2000 nematodes per replicate with 3 replicates per treatment) were exposed to LC10 (5.9 mgL-1 ) of 4-nm citrate-coated Au-NP using 6 cm petri-dishes with 4 ml of exposure solution per dish. The N2 nematodes at L3 stageused were used and they were exposed in 50% K-Medium (31.68 mM KCl, 51.37 mM NaCl) for 12h. At 12 h all solutions were replaced with 50% K-Medium and left for another 12 h. After 24 h RNA was extracted from each of the replicates .
Project description:Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) are currently being investigated for a range of biomedical applications. Their use have been related with different cytotoxic mechanisms including the generation of oxidative stress and the induction of metal detoxification pathways, among others. Different NP coatings are being explored, among them albumin which has been applied in some drugs delivery systems. We have investigated the molecular mechanisms responsive to in-house fabricated SPIONs coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA-SPIONs) in the nematode C. elegans to compare in vivo findings with previous in vitro studies. BSA-SPIONs (500 µg/ml) affected the transcriptional response of glycan metabolic pathways related to innate immune response, xenobiotics degradation, and triggered a lysosomal response, indicating a relevant biological role of this cellular compartment in the response to this nanoparticle treatment in C. elegans. Remarkably, key biological functions such as apoptosis or protein processing were not affected with significance despite the high dose of exposure.
Project description:We used Au nanoparticles (Au-NPs) as a model for studying particle specific effects of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) by examining the toxicogenomic responses in a model soil organism, free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Global genome expression for nematodes exposed to 4-nm citrate-coated Au-NPs at the LC10 (5.9 mg L-1) revealed significant differential expression of 797 genes. The levels of expression for five genes (apl-1, dyn-1, act-5, abu-11, and hsp-4) were confirmed independently with qRT-PCR. Seven common biological pathways associated with 38 of these genes were identified. Activation of 26 pqn/abu genes from noncanonical Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) pathway and up-regulation of molecular chaperones (hsp-16.1, hsp-70, hsp-3 and hsp-4) were observed and are likely indicative of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Inhibition of abu-11 with RNAi showed increase in mortality in Au-NP exposed nematodes suggesting possible involvement of abu-11 (a gene associated with specific to C. elegans UPR) in a protective mechanism against Au-NPs. Exposure to Au-NPs also caused activation of genes involved in apoptosis and necrosis and resulted ultimately in 10% mortality. These results demonstrate that Au-NPs are bioavailable and cause adverse effects to a model ecoreceptor which activate both general and specific biological pathways.