Molecular Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Health of Human, Animals and Plants

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 15106

Special Issue Editor

Department of Biology, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy
Interests: sperm chromatin; sperm nuclear basic proteins; pollution; reproductive health; histones; epigenetics; Mytilus galloprovincialis; human male fertility; natural bioactive molecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollutants are hazardous to organisms' health and ecosystems. Massive global contamination by pesticides, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and biotoxins in the atmosphere, water, and soil is produced primarily by industrial, wastewater, and domestic effluents. Most of these contaminants are non-biodegradable, with high toxicity and long half-life, leading to their bioaccumulation. Some of these pollutants have become ubiquitous and can interfere with fundamental physiological processes in  Human, Animals, and Plants, producing health impairment of these organisms. Understanding of the actions of these chemicals is poor but it is recognized that they can act additively, at low concentrations, and that organisms at early stages of development are particularly sensitive to their effects. Few laboratory studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between environmental pollutants and health alterations in animal, plant, and human,  reproductive health included. We cordially invite authors to contribute to this Special Issue with original research articles and reviews on how different types of environmental pollutants induce adverse effects on the Health of Human, Animals, and Plants. The data collected in this issue may provide a new opportunity to better understand alterations induced by environmental pollutant exposure and establish a link between dose and response of a single or a mixture of pollutants. Molecular mechanisms of pollutants action for sperm nuclear basic proteins and nucleic acids and epigenetic modifications are also within the scope of this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Marina Piscopo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • health damage

  • reproductive health

  • environmental pollution

  • epigenetics

  • Human, animals and plant

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4090 KiB  
Article
A Molecular Mechanism to Explain the Nickel-Induced Changes in Protamine-like Proteins and Their DNA Binding Affecting Sperm Chromatin in Mytilus galloprovincialis: An In Vitro Study
by Gelsomina Carbone, Gennaro Lettieri, Carmela Marinaro, Martina Costabile, Rosaria Notariale, Anna Rita Bianchi, Anna De Maio and Marina Piscopo
Biomolecules 2023, 13(3), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13030520 - 12 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1565
Abstract
Nickel is associated with reproductive toxicity, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms of nickel-induced effects on sperm chromatin and protamine-like proteins (PLs). In the present work, we analyzed PLs from Mytilus galloprovincialis by urea-acetic acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AU-PAGE) and SDS-PAGE [...] Read more.
Nickel is associated with reproductive toxicity, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms of nickel-induced effects on sperm chromatin and protamine-like proteins (PLs). In the present work, we analyzed PLs from Mytilus galloprovincialis by urea-acetic acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AU-PAGE) and SDS-PAGE and assessed their binding to DNA by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) after exposing mussels to 5, 15, and 35 µM NiCl2 for 24 h. In addition, a time course of digestion with MNase and release of PLs from sperm nuclei by the NaCl gradient was performed. For all exposure doses, in AU-PAGE, there was an additional migrating band between PL-III and PL-IV, corresponding to a fraction of PLs in the form of peptides detected by SDS-PAGE. Alterations in DNA binding of PLs were observed by EMSA after exposure to 5 and 15 µM NiCl2, while, at all NiCl2 doses, increased accessibility of MNase to sperm chromatin was found. The latter was particularly relevant at 15 µM NiCl2, a dose at which increased release of PLII and PLIII from sperm nuclei and the highest value of nickel accumulated in the gonads were also found. Finally, at all exposure doses, there was also an increase in PARP expression, but especially at 5 µM NiCl2. A possible molecular mechanism for the toxic reproductive effects of nickel in Mytilus galloprovincialis is discussed. Full article
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19 pages, 2838 KiB  
Article
Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Interconnected Surface Waters as Affected by Agricultural Activities
by Beilun Zhao, Peter M. van Bodegom and Krijn B. Trimbos
Biomolecules 2023, 13(2), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13020231 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1457
Abstract
Pastures have become one of the most important sources of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) pollution, bringing risks to human health through the environment and the food that is grown there. Another significant source of food production is greenhouse horticulture, which is typically located [...] Read more.
Pastures have become one of the most important sources of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) pollution, bringing risks to human health through the environment and the food that is grown there. Another significant source of food production is greenhouse horticulture, which is typically located near pastures. Through waterways, pasture-originated ARGs may transfer to the food in greenhouses. However, how these pasture-originated ARGs spread to nearby waterways and greenhouses has been much less investigated, while this may pose risks to humans through agricultural products. We analyzed 29 ARGs related to the most used antibiotics in livestock in the Netherlands at 16 locations in an agricultural area, representing pastures, greenhouses and lakes. We found that ARGs were prevalent in all surface waters surrounding pastures and greenhouses and showed a similar composition, with sulfonamide ARGs being dominant. This indicates that both pastures and greenhouses cause antibiotic resistance pressures on neighboring waters. However, lower pressures were found in relatively larger and isolated lakes, suggesting that a larger water body or a non-agricultural green buffer zone could help reducing ARG impacts from agricultural areas. We also observed a positive relationship between the concentrations of the class 1 integron (intl1 gene)—used as a proxy for horizontal gene transfer—and ARG concentration and composition. This supports that horizontal gene transfer might play a role in dispersing ARGs through landscapes. In contrast, none of the measured four abiotic factors (phosphate, nitrate, pH and dissolved oxygen) showed any impact on ARG concentrations. ARGs from different classes co-occurred, suggesting simultaneous use of different antibiotics. Our findings help to understand the spatial patterns of ARGs, specifically the impacts of ARGs from pastures and greenhouses on each other and on nearby waterways. In this way, this study guides management aiming at reducing ARGs′ risk to human health from agricultural products. Full article
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15 pages, 2497 KiB  
Article
Pro-Inflammatory and Cytotoxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Human and Murine Intestinal Cell Lines
by Virginia Mattioda, Valerio Benedetti, Carlotta Tessarolo, Francesca Oberto, Alessandra Favole, Marina Gallo, Walter Martelli, Maria Ines Crescio, Enrica Berio, Loretta Masoero, Alessandro Benedetto, Marzia Pezzolato, Elena Bozzetta, Carla Grattarola, Cristina Casalone, Cristiano Corona and Federica Giorda
Biomolecules 2023, 13(1), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13010140 - 10 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2554
Abstract
Plastic is a polymer extremely resistant to degradation that can remain for up to hundreds or thousands of years, leading to the accumulation of massive amounts of plastic waste throughout the planet’s ecosystems. Due to exposure to various environmental factors, plastic breaks down [...] Read more.
Plastic is a polymer extremely resistant to degradation that can remain for up to hundreds or thousands of years, leading to the accumulation of massive amounts of plastic waste throughout the planet’s ecosystems. Due to exposure to various environmental factors, plastic breaks down into smaller particles named microplastics (1–5000 μm) and nanoplastics (<1 μm). Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants but, still, little is known about their effects on human and animal health. Herein, our aim is to investigate cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation and correlated gene modulation following exposure to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in HRT-18 and CMT-93 epithelial cell lines. After 6, 24 and 48 h PS-MPs treatment, cell viability (MTT) and oxidative stress (SOD) assays were performed; subsequently, expression changes and cytokines release were investigated by Real-Time PCR and Magnetic-beads panel Multiplex Assay, respectively. For each exposure time, a significantly increased cytotoxicity was observed in both cell lines, whereas SOD activity increased only in CMT-93 cells. Furthermore, Magnetic-beads Multiplex Assay revealed an increased release of IL-8 in HRT-18 cells’ medium, also confirmed by gene expression analysis. Results obtained suggest the presence of a pro-inflammatory pattern induced by PS-MPs treatment that could be related to the observed increase in cytotoxicity. Full article
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11 pages, 1785 KiB  
Article
Effects of Nickel at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations on Human Corneal Epithelial Cells: Oxidative Damage and Cellular Apoptosis
by Zhen-Ning Zhang, Hai Liu, Mi-Mi Liu, Dan-Lei Yang, Jue Bi, Qian-Qian Chen, Wei Chen and Ping Xiang
Biomolecules 2022, 12(9), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12091283 - 12 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1469
Abstract
Nickel (Ni) is ubiquitous in the environment and evidence has suggested that Ni can cause ocular surface inflammation, especially in fine particulate matter and personal products. Continuous daily exposure to Ni-containing dust may adversely impact the human cornea, whereas the underlying mechanism of [...] Read more.
Nickel (Ni) is ubiquitous in the environment and evidence has suggested that Ni can cause ocular surface inflammation, especially in fine particulate matter and personal products. Continuous daily exposure to Ni-containing dust may adversely impact the human cornea, whereas the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon remains not fully understood. Here, human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) were employed to analyze the toxicity of Ni via detections of cell morphology, cell viability, reactive oxygen species production, cell apoptosis rate, and apoptotic gene expression levels after exposure for 24 h to uncover the damage of Ni to the cornea. A concentration-dependent inhibition of HCECs’ viability and growth was observed. In particular, Ni at 100 μM significantly decreased cell viability to 76%, and many cells displayed an abnormal shape and even induced oxidative damage of HCEC by increasing ROS to 1.2 times, and further led to higher apoptosis (24%), evidenced by up-regulation of apoptotic genes Caspase-8, Caspase-9, NF-κB, IL-1β, and Caspase-3, posing a risk of dry eye. Our study suggested that Ni induces apoptosis of HCEC through oxidative damage. Therefore, Ni pollution should be comprehensively considered in health risks or toxic effects on the ocular surface. Full article
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18 pages, 3259 KiB  
Article
Altered Expression of Protamine-like and Their DNA Binding Induced by Cr(VI): A Possible Risk to Spermatogenesis?
by Claudia Moriello, Martina Costabile, Michele Spinelli, Angela Amoresano, Giancarlo Palumbo, Ferdinando Febbraio and Marina Piscopo
Biomolecules 2022, 12(5), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12050700 - 14 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
Chromium (VI) is the most dangerous oxidation state among the stable forms of chromium. In this work, we evaluated the effect of exposing Mytilus galloprovincialis for 24 h to 1, 10, and 100 nM chromium (VI) on the properties of Protamine-like (PLs) and [...] Read more.
Chromium (VI) is the most dangerous oxidation state among the stable forms of chromium. In this work, we evaluated the effect of exposing Mytilus galloprovincialis for 24 h to 1, 10, and 100 nM chromium (VI) on the properties of Protamine-like (PLs) and their gene levels in the gonads. Specifically, we analyzed, by AU-PAGE and SDS-PAGE, PLs extracted from unexposed and exposed mussels. In addition, via EMSA, we evaluated the ability of PLs to bind DNA and also verified their potential to protect DNA from oxidative damage. Finally, we assessed possible alterations in gonadal expression of mt10, hsp70, and genes encoding for PLs-II/PL-IV and PL-III. We found that for all experimental approaches the most relevant alterations occurred after exposure to 1 nM Cr(VI). In particular, a comigration of PL-II with PL-III was observed by SDS-PAGE; and a reduced ability of PLs to bind and protect DNA from oxidative damage was recorded. This dose of chromium (VI) exposure was also the one that produced the greatest alterations in the expression of both mt10 and PL-II/PL-IV encoding genes. All of these changes suggest that this dose of chromium (VI) exposure could affect the reproductive health of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Full article
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18 pages, 4950 KiB  
Article
Toxic Effects of Endocrine Disruptor Exposure on Collagen-Induced Arthritis
by Ramona D’Amico, Enrico Gugliandolo, Marika Cordaro, Roberta Fusco, Tiziana Genovese, Alessio Filippo Peritore, Rosalia Crupi, Livia Interdonato, Davide Di Paola, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Daniela Impellizzeri, Rosalba Siracusa and Rosanna Di Paola
Biomolecules 2022, 12(4), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12040564 - 10 Apr 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2278
Abstract
Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are chemical substances capable of affecting endocrine system functioning and interfering with organ morphogenesis and physiological functions. The development and regeneration of bone tissues have a complex hormonal regulation, and therefore, bone tissue cells can be considered potential targets for [...] Read more.
Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are chemical substances capable of affecting endocrine system functioning and interfering with organ morphogenesis and physiological functions. The development and regeneration of bone tissues have a complex hormonal regulation, and therefore, bone tissue cells can be considered potential targets for endocrine disruptors. In that regard, the aim of this research was to investigate the impact of ED exposure on the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in an experimental model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Arthritis was induced by an emulsion of type II collagen (CII) and complete Freund’s adjuvant, which was administered intradermally on days 0 and 21. Mice from day 21 to day 35 received the following EDs by oral gavage: cypermethrin (CP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), vinclozolin (VCZ), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and atrazine (ATR). ED exposure caused worsening of clinical signs (erythema and edema in the hind paws), histological and radiographic changes, as well as behavioral deficits, induced by CII injections. Furthermore, ED exposure significantly increased the degree of inflammation and oxidative damage induced by arthritis; this upregulation was more evident after exposure to ATR than to other EDs. The results from our study suggest that exposure to EDs may play a deleterious role in the progression of RA; therefore, exposure to EDs should be limited. Full article
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15 pages, 2894 KiB  
Article
Morphological, Gene, and Hormonal Changes in Gonads and In-Creased Micrococcal Nuclease Accessibility of Sperm Chromatin Induced by Mercury
by Gennaro Lettieri, Nadia Carusone, Rosaria Notariale, Marina Prisco, Alessia Ambrosino, Shana Perrella, Caterina Manna and Marina Piscopo
Biomolecules 2022, 12(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12010087 - 06 Jan 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1808
Abstract
Mercury is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. In this work, we analysed the effects of exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to 1, 10 and 100 pM HgCl2 for 24 h on the gonadal morphology and on the expression level of three [...] Read more.
Mercury is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. In this work, we analysed the effects of exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to 1, 10 and 100 pM HgCl2 for 24 h on the gonadal morphology and on the expression level of three stress genes: mt10, hsp70 and πgst. In this tissue we also evaluated the level of steroidogenic enzymes 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD and the expression of PL protein genes. Finally, we determined difference in sperm chromatin accessibility to micrococcal nuclease. We found alterations in gonadal morphology especially after exposure to 10 and 100 pM HgCl2 and hypo-expression of the three stress genes, particularly for hsp70. Furthermore, decreased labelling with both 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD antibodies was observed following exposure to 1 and 10 pM HgCl2 and complete absence at 100 pM HgCl2 exposure. Gonads of mussels exposed to all HgCl2 doses showed decreased expression of PL protein genes especially for PLIII. Finally, micrococcal nuclease digestions showed that all doses of HgCl2 exposure resulted in increased sperm chromatin accessibility to this enzyme, indicative of improper sperm chromatin structure. All of these changes provide preliminary data of the potential toxicity of mercury on the reproductive health of this mussel. Full article
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Review

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27 pages, 886 KiB  
Review
Environmental and Genetic Traffic in the Journey from Sperm to Offspring
by Pallav Sengupta, Sulagna Dutta, Fong Fong Liew, Vidhu Dhawan, Biprojit Das, Filomena Mottola, Petr Slama, Lucia Rocco and Shubhadeep Roychoudhury
Biomolecules 2023, 13(12), 1759; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13121759 - 07 Dec 2023
Viewed by 932
Abstract
Recent advancements in the understanding of how sperm develop into offspring have shown complex interactions between environmental influences and genetic factors. The past decade, marked by a research surge, has not only highlighted the profound impact of paternal contributions on fertility and reproductive [...] Read more.
Recent advancements in the understanding of how sperm develop into offspring have shown complex interactions between environmental influences and genetic factors. The past decade, marked by a research surge, has not only highlighted the profound impact of paternal contributions on fertility and reproductive outcomes but also revolutionized our comprehension by unveiling how parental factors sculpt traits in successive generations through mechanisms that extend beyond traditional inheritance patterns. Studies have shown that offspring are more susceptible to environmental factors, especially during critical phases of growth. While these factors are broadly detrimental to health, their effects are especially acute during these periods. Moving beyond the immutable nature of the genome, the epigenetic profile of cells emerges as a dynamic architecture. This flexibility renders it susceptible to environmental disruptions. The primary objective of this review is to shed light on the diverse processes through which environmental agents affect male reproductive capacity. Additionally, it explores the consequences of paternal environmental interactions, demonstrating how interactions can reverberate in the offspring. It encompasses direct genetic changes as well as a broad spectrum of epigenetic adaptations. By consolidating current empirically supported research, it offers an exhaustive perspective on the interwoven trajectories of the environment, genetics, and epigenetics in the elaborate transition from sperm to offspring. Full article
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