Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics Approach
The increasing number of data studies on the biological impact of anthropogenic chemicals in the marine environment, together with the great development of invertebrate immunology, has identified marine bivalves as a key invertebrate group for studies on immunological responses to pollutant exposure...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.618726/full |
| _version_ | 1818415547400847360 |
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| author | Teresa Balbi Manon Auguste Caterina Ciacci Laura Canesi |
| author_facet | Teresa Balbi Manon Auguste Caterina Ciacci Laura Canesi |
| author_sort | Teresa Balbi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing number of data studies on the biological impact of anthropogenic chemicals in the marine environment, together with the great development of invertebrate immunology, has identified marine bivalves as a key invertebrate group for studies on immunological responses to pollutant exposure. Available data on the effects of contaminants on bivalve immunity, evaluated with different functional and molecular endpoints, underline that individual functional parameters (cellular or humoral) and the expression of selected immune-related genes can distinctly react to different chemicals depending on the conditions of exposure. Therefore, the measurement of a suite of immune biomarkers in hemocytes and hemolymph is needed for the correct evaluation of the overall impact of contaminant exposure on the organism's immunocompetence. Recent advances in -omics technologies are revealing the complexity of the molecular players in the immune response of different bivalve species. Although different -omics represent extremely powerful tools in understanding the impact of pollutants on a key physiological function such as immune defense, the -omics approach has only been utilized in this area of investigation in the last few years. In this work, available information obtained from the application of -omics to evaluate the effects of pollutants on bivalve immunity is summarized. The data shows that the overall knowledge on this subject is still quite limited and that to understand the environmental relevance of any change in immune homeostasis induced by exposure to contaminants, a combination of both functional assays and cutting-edge technology (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) is required. In addition, the utilization of metagenomics may explain how the complex interplay between the immune system of bivalves and its associated bacterial communities can be modulated by pollutants, and how this may in turn affect homeostatic processes of the host, host–pathogen interactions, and the increased susceptibility to disease. Integrating different approaches will contribute to knowledge on the mechanism responsible for immune dysfunction induced by pollutants in ecologically and economically relevant bivalve species and further explain their sensitivity to multiple stressors, thus resulting in health or disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T11:36:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0575d7fa1c624dde8236d378177a6ba0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T11:36:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-0575d7fa1c624dde8236d378177a6ba02022-12-21T23:02:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242021-02-011210.3389/fimmu.2021.618726618726Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics ApproachTeresa Balbi0Manon Auguste1Caterina Ciacci2Laura Canesi3Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Biomolecular Sciences (DIBS), University of Urbino, Urbino, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, ItalyThe increasing number of data studies on the biological impact of anthropogenic chemicals in the marine environment, together with the great development of invertebrate immunology, has identified marine bivalves as a key invertebrate group for studies on immunological responses to pollutant exposure. Available data on the effects of contaminants on bivalve immunity, evaluated with different functional and molecular endpoints, underline that individual functional parameters (cellular or humoral) and the expression of selected immune-related genes can distinctly react to different chemicals depending on the conditions of exposure. Therefore, the measurement of a suite of immune biomarkers in hemocytes and hemolymph is needed for the correct evaluation of the overall impact of contaminant exposure on the organism's immunocompetence. Recent advances in -omics technologies are revealing the complexity of the molecular players in the immune response of different bivalve species. Although different -omics represent extremely powerful tools in understanding the impact of pollutants on a key physiological function such as immune defense, the -omics approach has only been utilized in this area of investigation in the last few years. In this work, available information obtained from the application of -omics to evaluate the effects of pollutants on bivalve immunity is summarized. The data shows that the overall knowledge on this subject is still quite limited and that to understand the environmental relevance of any change in immune homeostasis induced by exposure to contaminants, a combination of both functional assays and cutting-edge technology (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) is required. In addition, the utilization of metagenomics may explain how the complex interplay between the immune system of bivalves and its associated bacterial communities can be modulated by pollutants, and how this may in turn affect homeostatic processes of the host, host–pathogen interactions, and the increased susceptibility to disease. Integrating different approaches will contribute to knowledge on the mechanism responsible for immune dysfunction induced by pollutants in ecologically and economically relevant bivalve species and further explain their sensitivity to multiple stressors, thus resulting in health or disease.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.618726/fullbivalvesimmunityenvironmental stresspollutantsbiomarkers-omics technologies |
| spellingShingle | Teresa Balbi Manon Auguste Caterina Ciacci Laura Canesi Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics Approach Frontiers in Immunology bivalves immunity environmental stress pollutants biomarkers -omics technologies |
| title | Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics Approach |
| title_full | Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics Approach |
| title_fullStr | Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics Approach |
| title_short | Immunological Responses of Marine Bivalves to Contaminant Exposure: Contribution of the -Omics Approach |
| title_sort | immunological responses of marine bivalves to contaminant exposure contribution of the omics approach |
| topic | bivalves immunity environmental stress pollutants biomarkers -omics technologies |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.618726/full |
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