Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Owing to production, usage, and disposal of nano-enabled products as well as fragmentation of bulk materials, anthropogenic nanoscale particles (NPs) can enter the natural environment and through different compartments (air, soil, and water) end up into the sea. With the continuous increase in production and associated emissions and discharges, they can reach concentrations able to exceed toxicity thresholds for living species inhabiting marine coastal areas. Behavior and fate of NPs in marine waters are driven by transformation processes occurring as a function of NP intrinsic and extrinsic properties in the receiving seawaters. All those aspects have been overlooked in ecological risk assessment. This review critically reports ecotoxicity studies in which size distribution, surface charges and bio−nano interactions have been considered for a more realistic risk assessment of NPs in marine environment. Two emerging and relevant NPs, the metal-based titanium dioxide (TiO2), and polystyrene (PS), a proxy for nanoplastics, are reviewed, and their impact on marine biota (from planktonic species to invertebrates and fish) is discussed as a function of particle size and surface charges (negative vs. positive), which affect their behavior and interaction with the biological material. Uptake of NPs is related to their nanoscale size; however, in vivo studies clearly demonstrated that transformation (agglomerates/aggregates) occurring in both artificial and natural seawater drive to different exposure routes and biological responses at cellular and organism level. Adsorption of single particles or agglomerates onto the body surface or their internalization in feces can impair motility and affect sinking or floating behavior with consequences on populations and ecological function. Particle complex dynamics in natural seawater is almost unknown, although it determines the effective exposure scenarios. Based on the latest predicted environmental concentrations for TiO2 and PS NPs in the marine environment, current knowledge gaps and future research challenges encompass the comprehensive study of bio−nano interactions. As such, the analysis of NP biomolecular coronas can enable a better assessment of particle uptake and related cellular pathways leading to toxic effects. Moreover, the formation of an environmentally derived corona (i.e., eco-corona) in seawater accounts for NP physical–chemical alterations, rebounding on interaction with living organisms and toxicity

Level of Awareness and Attitudes towards Plastic Contamination by Students of an Italian University

Although micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) represent one of the main environmental emergencies worldwide, citizens are not always aware of their active role in contributing to such contamination. In this study, the perception, level of knowledge, and behaviours towards MNPs were assessed in young citizens in Modena (Italy), represented by science-oriented Bachelor’s students (n = 220) enrolled at the university, through the administration of a voluntary-based questionnaire. No differences in knowledge and in students’ attitudes were observed according to gender and the undergraduate program. Students seem to be aware of MNPs’ global distribution and effects on ecosystems but were less advised about MNP types and their potential effects on human health. A positive correlation between the students’ level of concern and their knowledge or their behaviour was found. Differently, no correlation between students’ knowledge and behaviour towards plastic and MNP contamination was observed. Thus, having a good knowledge of the issue does not always translate into effective actions planned to mitigate the problem. As a first step forward, more environmental education programs should be promoted to increase knowledge and awareness in young citizen as well as pro-environmental behaviours to pursue future mitigation strategies

Melanoma: Diagnóstico, evolución y tratamiento bajo una perspectiva molecular

La incidencia de cáncer de piel y particularmente de melanoma se encuentra en franco ascenso debido a la combinación de factores ambientales y socio-culturales. A diferencia de otros tipos de tumores malignos, en la mayoría de los casos la aparición de esta enfermedad y/o sus consecuencias más graves pueden preverse simplemente a través de cambios en nuestras conductas. Fundamentalmente, se recomienda tomar mayores recaudos al exponernos a la radiación ultravioleta y seguir los consejos médicos para la detección precoz de lesiones cutáneas potencialmente peligrosas. El objetivo del presente artículo es proporcionar a los lectores un mayor conocimiento acerca de los distintos aspectos de esta enfermedad, tales como los factores de riesgo, su diagnóstico y pronóstico. También se intenta informar sobre los avances más recientes en el campo de la investigación y como estos descubrimientos están siendo aplicados para mejorar el tratamiento de los pacientes que sufren esta enfermedad.Fil: Picco, María Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (i); Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Natalia Brenda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (i); Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Bergami, Pablo Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (i); Argentina; Argentin

Organic or junk food? Microplastic contamination in Antarctic krill and salps

Microplastics (MP) have been reported in Southern Ocean (SO), where they are likely to encounter Antarctic zooplankton and enter pelagic food webs. Here we assess the presence of MP within Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and salps (Salpa thompsoni) and quantify their abundance and type by micro-Fourier transform infrared microscopy. MP were found in both species, with fibres being more abundant than fragments (krill: 56.25% and salps: 22.32% of the total MP). Polymer identification indicated MP originated from both local and distant sources. Our findings prove how in situ MP ingestion from these organisms is a real and ongoing process in the SO. MP amount was higher in krill (2.13 ± 0.26 MP ind−1) than salps (1.38 ± 0.42 MP ind−1), while MP size extracted from krill (130 ± 30 µm) was significantly lower than MP size from salps (330 ± 50 µm). We suggest that differences between abundance and size of MP ingested by these two species may be related to their food strategies, their ability to fragment MP as well as different human pressures within the collection areas of the study region. First comparative field-based evidence of MP in both krill and salps, two emblematic zooplankton species of the SO marine ecosystems, underlines that Antarctic marine ecosystems may be particularly sensitive to plastic pollution

The Ocean Plastic Incubator Chamber (OPIC) system to monitor in situ plastic degradation at sea

Marine plastic pollution is a global and pervasive environmental issue. Knowledge on plastic degradation in natural settings is still very limited due to current technological limitations, hampering our understanding of plastic fate (including its breakdown into micro- and nanoplastics) and of its risk for marine ecosystems. Here we present the proof of concept of the Ocean Plastic Incubator Chamber (OPIC), a novel equipment to follow plastic degradation in situ at sea over time. OPIC consists of a frame containing a motorised rotating stage with transparent tubes sub-assemblies where reference plastic materials are incubated and exposed to natural weathering conditions for defined time multi-years period. OPIC has been designed, tested and adapted for deployment with mooring line platforms in the open ocean with potential future application in remote environments at different depths (from shallow waters to deep sea environments). This incubator will allow us to measure different markers of plastic aging in situ in the ocean for the first time, providing new insights into the multiple and locally driven dynamics regulating plastic transformations and fate at sea

Characterization of Five Psychrotolerant Alcanivorax spp. Strains Isolated from Antarctica

Five psychrotolerant Alcanivorax spp. strains were isolated from Antarctic coastal waters. Strains were screened for molecular and physiological properties and analyzed regarding their growth capacity. Partial 16S rDNA, alk-B1, and P450 gene sequencing was performed. Biolog EcoPlates and the API 20E test were used to evaluate metabolic and biochemical profiles. Bacterial growth in sodium acetate was determined at 4, 15, 20, and 25 °C to evaluate the optimal temperature. Furthermore, the ability of each strain to grow in a hydrocarbon mixture at 4 and 25 °C was assayed. Biosurfactant production tests (drop-collapse and oil spreading) and emulsification activity tests (E24) were also performed. Concerning results of partial gene sequencing (16S rDNA, alk-B1, and P450), a high similarity of the isolates with the same genes isolated from other Alcanivorax spp. strains was observed. The metabolic profiles obtained by Biolog assays showed no significant differences in the isolates compared to the Alcanivorax borkumensis wild type. The results of biodegradative tests showed their capability to grow at different temperatures. All strains showed biosurfactant production and emulsification activity. Our findings underline the importance to proceed in the isolation and characterization of Antarctic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial strains since their biotechnological and environmental applications could be useful even for pollution remediation in polar areas

Evidence for immunomodulation and apoptotic processes induced by cationic polystyrene nanoparticles in the hemocytes of the marine bivalve Mytilus

none8sìPolymeric nanoparticles can reach the marine environment from different sources as weathering of plastic debris and nanowaste. Nevertheless, few data are available on their fate and impact on marine biota. Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) can be considered as a model for studying the effects of nanoplastics in marine organisms: recent data on amino-modified PS NPs (PS-NH2) toxicity in sea urchin embryos underlined that marine invertebrates can be biological targets of nanoplastics. Cationic PS NPs have been shown to be toxic to mammalian cells, where they can induce apoptotic processes; however, no information is available on their effects and mechanisms of action in the cells of marine organisms. In this work, the effects of 50 nm PS-NH2 were investigated in the hemocytes of the marine bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis. Hemocytes were exposed to different concentrations (1, 5, 50 μg/ml) of PS-NH2 suspension in ASW. Clear signs of cytoxicity were evident only at the highest concentrations (50 μg/ml). On the other hand, a dose dependent decrease in phagocytic activity and increase in lysozyme activity were observed. PS-NH2 NPs also stimulated increase in extracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species) and NO (nitric oxide) production, with maximal effects at lower concentrations. Moreover, at the highest concentration tested, PS-NH2 NPs induced apoptotic process, as evaluated by Flow cytometry (Annexin V binding and mitochondrial parameters). The results demonstrate that in marine invertebrates the immune function can represent a significant target for PS-NPs. Moreover, in Mytilus hemocytes, PS-NH2 NPs can act through mechanisms similar to those observed in mammalian cells. Further research is necessary on specific mechanisms of toxicity and cellular uptake of nanoplastics in order to assess their impact on marine biota.openCanesi, L; Ciacci, Caterina; Bergami, E; Monopoli, M. P; Dawson, K. A; Papa, Stefano; Canonico, Barbara; Corsi, I.Canesi, L; Ciacci, Caterina; Bergami, E; Monopoli, M. P; Dawson, K. A; Papa, Stefano; Canonico, Barbara; Corsi, I

BCL2l10 is overexpressed in melanoma downstream of STAT3 and promotes cisplatin and ABT-737 resistance

The anti-apoptotic proteins from the Bcl-2 family are important therapeutic targets since they convey resistance to anticancer regimens. Despite the suspected functional redundancy among the six proteins of this subfamily, both basic studies and therapeutic approaches have focused mainly on BCL2, Bcl-xL, and MCL1. The role of BCL2L10, another member of this group, has been poorly studied in cancer and never has been in melanoma. We describe here that BCL2L10 is abundantly and frequently expressed both in melanoma cell lines and tumor samples. We established that BCL2L10 expression is driven by STAT3-mediated transcription, and by using reporter assays, site-directed mutagenesis, and ChIP analysis, we identified the functional STAT3 responsive elements in the BCL2L10 promoter. BCL2L10 is a pro-survival factor in melanoma since its expression reduced the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin, dacarbazine, and ABT-737 (a BCL2, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-w inhibitor). Meanwhile, both genetic and pharmacological inhibition of BCL2L10 sensitized melanoma cells to cisplatin and ABT-737. Finally, BCL2L10 inhibited the cell death upon combination treatments of PLX-4032, a BRAF inhibitor, with ABT-737 or cisplatin. In summary, we determined that BCL2L10 is expressed in melanoma and contributes to cell survival. Hence, targeting BCL2L10 may enhance the clinical efficacy of other therapies for malignant melanoma.Fil: Quezada, Maria Josefina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Picco, María Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Villanueva, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Castro, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Barbero, Gastón Alexis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Natalia Brenda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Illescas, Edith. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Bergami, Pablo Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentin

Interactions of cationic polystyrene nanoparticles with marine bivalve hemocytes in a physiological environment: Role of soluble hemolymph proteins

none12The bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis has proven as a suitable model invertebrate for evaluating the potential impact of nanoparticles (NPs) in the marine environment. In particular, in mussels, the immune system represents a sensitive target for different types of NPs. In environmental conditions, both NP intrinsic properties and those of the receiving medium will affect particle behavior and consequent bioavailability/uptake/toxicity. However, the evaluation of the biological effects of NPs requires additional understanding of how, once within the organism, NPs interact at the molecular level with cells in a physiological environment. In mammalian systems, different NPs associate with serum soluble components, organized into a "protein corona", which affects particle interactions with target cells. However, no information is available so far on the interactions of NPs with biological fluids of aquatic organisms. In this work, the influence of hemolymph serum (HS) on the in vitro effects of amino modified polystyrene NPs (PS-NH2) on Mytilus hemocytes was investigated. Hemocytes were incubated with PS-NH2 suspensions in HS (1, 5 and 50µg/mL) and the results were compared with those obtained in ASW medium. Cell functional parameters (lysosomal membrane stability, oxyradical production, phagocytosis) were evaluated, and morphological changes were investigated by TEM. The activation state of the signalling components involved in Mytilus immune response (p38 MAPK and PKC) was determined. The results show that in the presence of HS, PS-NH2 increased cellular damage and ROS production with respect to ASW medium. The effects were apparently mediated by disregulation of p38 MAPK signalling. The formation of a PS-NH2-protein corona in HS was investigated by centrifugation, and 1D- gel electrophoresis and nano-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The results identified the Putative C1q domain containing protein (MgC1q6) as the only component of the PS-NH2 hard protein corona in Mytilus hemolymph. These data represent the first evidence for the formation of a NP bio-corona in aquatic organisms and underline the importance of the recognizable biological identity of NPs in physiological exposure medium when testing their potential impact environmental model organisms. Although the results obtained in vitro do not entirely reflect a realistic exposure scenario and the more complex formation of a bio-corona that is likely to occur in vivo, these data will contribute to a better understanding of the effects of NPs in marine invertebrates.openCanesi, Laura; Ciacci, Caterina; Fabbri, Rita; Balbi, Teresa; Salis, Annalisa; Damonte, Gianluca; Cortese, Katia; Caratto, Valentina; Monopoli, Marco P; Dawson, Kenneth; Bergami, Elisa; Corsi, IlariaCanesi, Laura; Ciacci, Caterina; Fabbri, Rita; Balbi, Teresa; Salis, Annalisa; Damonte, Gianluca; Cortese, Katia; Caratto, Valentina; Monopoli, Marco P; Dawson, Kenneth; Bergami, Elisa; Corsi, Ilari