This systematic review analyzes the studies available on the ecotoxicity of nanomaterials (NMs) in the environment to understand where future research should be addressed for achieving Agenda 2030 ...goals on sustainable development and environmental safety. We discuss the status of NMs ecotoxicological effects across different organisms that are representative of all natural environments (land, air, water). A total of 1562 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science (all databases) by using the search criteria “nanomaterials” and “ecotoxicology”; among them, 303 studies were included in the systematic review because they met any of the following criteria: (i) focalize on both search criteria; (ii) deal with terrestrial, or aquatic environment; (iii) address models (organisms, cells) for the nano environmental risk assessment and exposure. The knowledge gaps are identified together with novel insights that need to be further investigated to better understand the ecotoxicological environmental impacts of NMs.
The sea urchin is an emergent model system for studying basic and translational immunology. Here we report a new method for the harvesting and maintenance of primary immune cells isolated from adult
..., a common Mediterranean sea urchin species. This optimised method uses coelomocyte culture medium, containing a high-affinity Ca
chelator, as the ideal harvesting and anti-clotting vehicle and short-term culture medium (≤48 h), and artificial seawater as the master medium that maintains cell survival and
physiological homeostasis over 2 weeks. Gradually reducing the amount of anticoagulant solution in the medium and regularly replacing the medium led to improved culture viability. Access to a robust and straightforward
system will expedite our understanding of deuterostome immunity as well as underscore the potential of sea urchin with respect to biomedicine and regulatory testing.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
The close phylogenetic relationship between Ciona robusta and vertebrates makes it a powerful model for studying innate immunity and the evolution of immune genes. To elucidate the nature and ...dynamics of the immune response, the molecular mechanisms by which bacterial infection is detected and translated into inflammation and how potential pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are involved in pathogen recognition in tunicate C. robusta (formerly known as Ciona intestinalis), we applied an approach combining bacterial infections, next-generation sequencing, qRT-PCR, bioinformatics and in silico analyses (criteria of a p-value < 0.05 and FDR < 0.05). A STRING analysis indicated a functional link between components of the Tlr/MyD88-dependent signalling pathway (Tlr2, MyD88, and Irak4) and components of the Nf-κB signalling pathway (Nf-κB, IκBα, and Ikkα) (p-value < 0.05, FDR < 0.05). A qRT-PCR analysis of immune genes selected from transcriptome data revealed Mif as more frequently expressed in the inflammatory response than inflammation mediator or effector molecules (e.g., Il-17s, Tnf-α, Tgf-β, Mmp9, Tlrs, MyD88, Irak4, Nf-κB, and galectins), suggesting close interplay between Mif cytokines and Nf-κB signalling pathway components in the biphasic activation of the inflammatory response. An in silico analyses of the 3'-UTR of Tlr2, MyD88, IκBα, Ikk, and Nf-κB transcripts showed the presence of GAIT elements, which are known to play key roles in the regulation of immune gene-specific translation in humans. These findings provide a new level of understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the C. robusta inflammatory response induced by LPS and suggest that in C. robusta, as in humans, a complex transcriptional and post-transcriptional control mechanism is involved in the regulation of several inflammatory genes.
Extensive exploitation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO
NPs) augments rapid release into the marine environment. When in contact with the body fluids of marine invertebrates, TiO
NPs undergo a ...transformation and adhere various organic molecules that shape a complex protein corona prior to contacting cells and tissues. To elucidate the potential extracellular signals that may be involved in the particle recognition by immune cells of the sea urchin
, we investigated the behavior of TiO
NPs in contact with extracellular proteins
. Our findings indicate that TiO
NPs are able to interact with sea urchin proteins in both cell-free and cell-conditioned media. The two-dimensional proteome analysis of the protein corona bound to TiO
NP revealed that negatively charged proteins bound preferentially to the particles. The main constituents shaping the sea urchin cell-conditioned TiO
NP protein corona were proteins involved in cellular adhesion (
-toposome,
-galectin-8,
-nectin) and cytoskeletal organization (actin and tubulin). Immune cells (phagocytes) aggregated TiO
NPs on the outer cell surface and within well-organized vesicles without eliciting harmful effects on the biological activities of the cells. Cells showed an active metabolism, no oxidative stress or caspase activation. These results provide a new level of understanding of the extracellular proteins involved in the immune-TiO
NP recognition and interaction
, confirming that primary immune cell cultures from
can be an optional model for swift and efficient immune-toxicological investigations.
The scopes related to the interplay between stem cells and the immune system are broad and range from the basic understanding of organism’s physiology and ecology to translational studies, further ...contributing to (eco)toxicology, biotechnology, and medicine as well as regulatory and ethical aspects. Stem cells originate immune cells through hematopoiesis, and the interplay between the two cell types is required in processes like regeneration. In addition, stem and immune cell anomalies directly affect the organism’s functions, its ability to cope with environmental changes and, indirectly, its role in ecosystem services. However, stem cells and immune cells continue to be considered parts of two branches of biological research with few interconnections between them. This review aims to bridge these two seemingly disparate disciplines towards much more integrative and transformative approaches with examples deriving mainly from aquatic invertebrates. We discuss the current understanding of cross-disciplinary collaborative and emerging issues, raising novel hypotheses and comments. We also discuss the problems and perspectives of the two disciplines and how to integrate their conceptual frameworks to address basic equations in biology in a new, innovative way.
•Morphological Features and Recognized Functions of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus immune cells are discussed.•Sea urchin Immune Cells are proposed as tools to monitor the healthy state of the ...marine environment.•The sea urchin immune cell model can be considered as a proxy to humans for immune toxicological studies.
Echinoderms, an ancient and very successful phylum of marine invertebrates, play a central role in the maintenance of ecosystem integrity and are constantly exposed to environmental pressure, including: predation, changes in temperature and pH, hypoxia, pathogens, UV radiation, metals, toxicants, and emerging pollutants like nanomaterials. The annotation of the sea urchin genome, so closely related to humans and other vertebrate genomes, revealed an unusually complex immune system, which may be the basis for why sea urchins can adapt to different marine environments and survive even in hazardous conditions. In this review, we give a brief overview of the morphological features and recognized functions of echinoderm immune cells with a focus on studies correlating stress and immunity in the sea urchin. Immune cells from adult Paracentrotus lividus, which have been introduced in the last fifteen years as sentinels of environmental stress, are valid tools to uncover basic molecular and regulatory mechanisms of immune responses, supporting their use in immunological research. Here we summarize laboratory and field studies that reveal the amenability of sea urchin immune cells for toxicological testing.
Sunscreens are of emerging concern regarding environmental effect. After leaving the skin either through bathing or washing, the ingredients contained in the product formulation can be released into ...rivers, lakes, seashores, and/or sewage treatment plants. Nanomaterials used as UV-filters are of particular concern in this context as they may have a negative effect on these systems. To assess the risks posed, the exposure and hazard of nanoparticulate UV-filters must be considered through the entire lifecycle of the sunscreen product. This includes not only usage, but also manufacturing and disposal at the end of life of the product, as some nanomaterials may be released into the environment at each stage. This includes also developing relevant approaches that take into account realistic scenarios of environmental release and fate. Nanoparticulate UV-filters typically consist of a mineral nanoparticle core (TiO2 or ZnO) coated with surface layers aimed at optimizing the dispersion in the formulation and at supressing any photo-sensibility. This coating plays a key role in the associated risk since it affects the nanoparticle surface properties, which control both fate and hazard. At present, knowledge gaps remain regarding the safety of nanomaterials used in sunscreen, as very few studies have focused on real sunscreen filters and formulations throughout their lifecycle so far. A literature review is proposed here from the design of nanoparticulate UV-filters and formulations, to the release, fate, and effect in the different compartments encountered along the product lifecycle. The resulting state of the art highlights knowledge gaps and will likely help regulators, manufacturers, and consumers choose appropriate guidance. By considering each development stage of the sunscreen, from the choice of the UV-filter(s) and its (their) integration into a cosmetic formulation to the knowledge of the risk involved in this choice all along the product lifecycle, an eco-design approach can be achieved where release or toxicity are reduced. Sustainability can thus be accounted for, during the design process, by making the appropriate choices (in advance) that help minimize or prevent the environmental impact of the sunscreen.
Coelomocytes are recognized as the main cellular component of the echinoderm immune system. They are the first line of defense and their number and type can vary dramatically during infections or ...following injury. Sea stars have been used as a model system to study the regeneration process after autotomy or predation. In the present study we examined the cellular and biochemical responses of coelomocytes from the European sea star Asterias rubens to traumatic stress using immunochemical and biochemical approaches. In terms of trauma and post-traumatic stress period, here we consider the experimental arm amputation and the repair phase involved in the first 24 hours post-amputation, which mimicked a natural predation event. Four cell morphotypes were distinguishable in the coelomic fluid of both control and post-traumatic-stressed animals (phagocytes, amoebocytes, vibratile cells, hemocytes), but phagocytes were the major components, accounting for about 95% of the total population. Thus, the effects measured relate to the overall population of coelomocytes. A modest increase in the total number of freely circulating coelomocytes was observed 6 hours post-amputation. Interestingly, a monoclonal antibody (McAb) to a sea urchin embryo adhesion protein (toposome) cross-reacted with isolated sea star coelomocytes and stained the coelomic epithelium of control animals with an increase in trauma-stressed arms. In addition, coelomocytes from trauma-stressed animals showed a time-dependent increase in Hsp70 levels, as detected by both immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting within 24 hours after arm tip amputation, with a peak at 6 hours after amputation. Our findings indicate a clear role for coelomocytes and classic stress molecules in the post-traumatic stress associated with the early repair phase of regeneration.
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