PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> Embryos
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) represent the most common pollutants in the marine sediments. Previous investigations demonstrated short-term sublethal effects of sediments polluted with both contaminants on the sea urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus&l...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/22/12498 |
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| author | Luisa Albarano Valerio Zupo Marco Guida Giovanni Libralato Davide Caramiello Nadia Ruocco Maria Costantini |
| author_facet | Luisa Albarano Valerio Zupo Marco Guida Giovanni Libralato Davide Caramiello Nadia Ruocco Maria Costantini |
| author_sort | Luisa Albarano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) represent the most common pollutants in the marine sediments. Previous investigations demonstrated short-term sublethal effects of sediments polluted with both contaminants on the sea urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> after 2 months of exposure in mesocosms. In particular, morphological malformations observed in <i>P. lividus</i> embryos deriving from adults exposed to PAHs and PCBs were explained at molecular levels by <i>de novo</i> transcriptome assembly and real-time qPCR, leading to the identification of several differentially expressed genes involved in key physiological processes. Here, we extensively explored the genes involved in the response of the sea urchin <i>P. lividus</i> to PAHs and PCBs. Firstly, 25 new genes were identified and interactomic analysis revealed that they were functionally connected among them and to several genes previously defined as molecular targets of response to the two pollutants under analysis. The expression levels of these 25 genes were followed by Real Time qPCR, showing that almost all genes analyzed were affected by PAHs and PCBs. These findings represent an important further step in defining the impacts of slight concentrations of such contaminants on sea urchins and, more in general, on marine biota, increasing our knowledge of molecular targets involved in responses to environmental stressors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:25:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63db73b3b59e496590ed902772bf5fcd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:25:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-63db73b3b59e496590ed902772bf5fcd2023-11-22T23:43:18ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-11-0122221249810.3390/ijms222212498PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> EmbryosLuisa Albarano0Valerio Zupo1Marco Guida2Giovanni Libralato3Davide Caramiello4Nadia Ruocco5Maria Costantini6Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, ItalyStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso di Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, ItalyStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, ItalyStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Marine Organisms Core Facility, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, ItalyStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, ItalyStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, ItalyPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) represent the most common pollutants in the marine sediments. Previous investigations demonstrated short-term sublethal effects of sediments polluted with both contaminants on the sea urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> after 2 months of exposure in mesocosms. In particular, morphological malformations observed in <i>P. lividus</i> embryos deriving from adults exposed to PAHs and PCBs were explained at molecular levels by <i>de novo</i> transcriptome assembly and real-time qPCR, leading to the identification of several differentially expressed genes involved in key physiological processes. Here, we extensively explored the genes involved in the response of the sea urchin <i>P. lividus</i> to PAHs and PCBs. Firstly, 25 new genes were identified and interactomic analysis revealed that they were functionally connected among them and to several genes previously defined as molecular targets of response to the two pollutants under analysis. The expression levels of these 25 genes were followed by Real Time qPCR, showing that almost all genes analyzed were affected by PAHs and PCBs. These findings represent an important further step in defining the impacts of slight concentrations of such contaminants on sea urchins and, more in general, on marine biota, increasing our knowledge of molecular targets involved in responses to environmental stressors.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/22/12498aromatic hydrocarbonspolychlorinated biphenylssea urchin |
| spellingShingle | Luisa Albarano Valerio Zupo Marco Guida Giovanni Libralato Davide Caramiello Nadia Ruocco Maria Costantini PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> Embryos International Journal of Molecular Sciences aromatic hydrocarbons polychlorinated biphenyls sea urchin |
| title | PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> Embryos |
| title_full | PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> Embryos |
| title_fullStr | PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> Embryos |
| title_full_unstemmed | PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> Embryos |
| title_short | PAHs and PCBs Affect Functionally Intercorrelated Genes in the Sea Urchin <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i> Embryos |
| title_sort | pahs and pcbs affect functionally intercorrelated genes in the sea urchin i paracentrotus lividus i embryos |
| topic | aromatic hydrocarbons polychlorinated biphenyls sea urchin |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/22/12498 |
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