Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLP
This study reports on the effects of long-term exposure to the metals arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluoranthene on the survival, growth, development and DNA methylation status of the earthworm <i>Lumbricus rubellus</i>. Exposures to the three chemica...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Genes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/5/770 |
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| author | Ilze Rasnaca Peter Kille Lindsay K. Newbold David J. Spurgeon |
| author_facet | Ilze Rasnaca Peter Kille Lindsay K. Newbold David J. Spurgeon |
| author_sort | Ilze Rasnaca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study reports on the effects of long-term exposure to the metals arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluoranthene on the survival, growth, development and DNA methylation status of the earthworm <i>Lumbricus rubellus</i>. Exposures to the three chemicals were conducted over their whole juvenile developmental period from egg to adult. Significant effects on one or more measured endpoints were found for all three chemicals. Arsenic had no effect on survival, but had a significant effect on growth rates at concentrations of 36 mg/kg or higher and also slowed the rate of maturation. Cadmium significantly reduced juvenile survival at 500 mg/kg, juvenile growth at 148 mg/kg and maturation rates at all tested concentrations. Fluoranthene had no effect on survival or the developmental period, but did significantly reduce growth rates at 800 mg/kg. Effects at these concentrations are consistent with the known effects of these three chemicals on earthworms from previous studies conducted mainly with <i>Eisenia fetida</i>. Both As and Cd had no effect on DNA methylation patterning in earthworms measured at the end of the exposure. Fluoranthene was shown, for the first time. to have an effect on a species’ DNA methylation levels. These results suggest that apical phenotypic changes for As and Cd are not necessarily associated with changes in DNA methylation profiles. However, exposure to the organic chemical fluoranthene influenced DNA methylation patterns, suggesting wider remodelling of the epigenome for this chemical. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:50:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a9263ad40fb43efa585b67512d759c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:50:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genes |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a9263ad40fb43efa585b67512d759c02023-11-23T11:09:11ZengMDPI AGGenes2073-44252022-04-0113577010.3390/genes13050770Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLPIlze Rasnaca0Peter Kille1Lindsay K. Newbold2David J. Spurgeon3UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UKCardiff School of Biosciences, University of Cardiff, P.O. Box 915, Cardiff CF10 3TL, UKUK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UKUK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UKThis study reports on the effects of long-term exposure to the metals arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluoranthene on the survival, growth, development and DNA methylation status of the earthworm <i>Lumbricus rubellus</i>. Exposures to the three chemicals were conducted over their whole juvenile developmental period from egg to adult. Significant effects on one or more measured endpoints were found for all three chemicals. Arsenic had no effect on survival, but had a significant effect on growth rates at concentrations of 36 mg/kg or higher and also slowed the rate of maturation. Cadmium significantly reduced juvenile survival at 500 mg/kg, juvenile growth at 148 mg/kg and maturation rates at all tested concentrations. Fluoranthene had no effect on survival or the developmental period, but did significantly reduce growth rates at 800 mg/kg. Effects at these concentrations are consistent with the known effects of these three chemicals on earthworms from previous studies conducted mainly with <i>Eisenia fetida</i>. Both As and Cd had no effect on DNA methylation patterning in earthworms measured at the end of the exposure. Fluoranthene was shown, for the first time. to have an effect on a species’ DNA methylation levels. These results suggest that apical phenotypic changes for As and Cd are not necessarily associated with changes in DNA methylation profiles. However, exposure to the organic chemical fluoranthene influenced DNA methylation patterns, suggesting wider remodelling of the epigenome for this chemical.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/5/770pollutionepigeneticmethylomephenotypic plasticity |
| spellingShingle | Ilze Rasnaca Peter Kille Lindsay K. Newbold David J. Spurgeon Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLP Genes pollution epigenetic methylome phenotypic plasticity |
| title | Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLP |
| title_full | Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLP |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLP |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLP |
| title_short | Impacts of Life-Time Exposure of Arsenic, Cadmium and Fluoranthene on the Earthworms’ <i>L. rubellus</i> Global DNA Methylation as Detected by msAFLP |
| title_sort | impacts of life time exposure of arsenic cadmium and fluoranthene on the earthworms i l rubellus i global dna methylation as detected by msaflp |
| topic | pollution epigenetic methylome phenotypic plasticity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/5/770 |
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