The establishment of transgenerational effects following chemical exposure is a powerful phenomenon, capable of modulating ecosystem health beyond exposure periods. This study assessed the transgenerational effects occurring due to copper exposure in the invertebrate at the transcriptional level, while evaluating the role of exposure history on such responses. Thus, daphnids acclimated for several generations in a copper vs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetic mechanisms are moving to the forefront of environmental sciences, as environmentally induced epigenetic changes shape biological responses to chemical contamination. This work focused on Daphnia as a representative of potentially threatened freshwater biota, aiming to gain an insight into the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in their response and eventual adaptation to metal contamination. Copper-induced DNA methylation changes, their potential transgenerational inheritance, and life-history traits were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKnowledge on the molecular basis of ionic liquids' (ILs) ecotoxicity is critical for the development of these designer solvents as their structure can be engineered to simultaneously meet functionality performance and environmental safety. The molecular effects of ILs were investigated by using RNA-sequencing following Daphnia magna exposure to imidazolium- and cholinium-based ILs: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Cmim]Cl), 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Cmim]Cl) and cholinium chloride ([Chol]Cl)-; the selection allowing to compare different families and cation alkyl chains. ILs shared mechanisms of toxicity focusing e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetic mechanisms have gained relevance in human health and environmental studies, due to their pivotal role in disease, gene × environment interactions and adaptation to environmental change and/or contamination. Epigenetic mechanisms are highly responsive to external stimuli and a wide range of chemicals has been shown to determine specific epigenetic patterns in several organisms. Furthermore, the mitotic/meiotic inheritance of such epigenetic marks as well as the resulting changes in gene expression and cell/organismal phenotypes has now been demonstrated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetic mechanisms have been found to play important roles in environmental stress response and regulation. These can, theoretically, be transmitted to future unexposed generations, yet few studies have shown persisting stress-induced transgenerational effects, particularly in invertebrates. Here, we focus on the aquatic microcrustacean Daphnia, a parthenogenetic model species, and its response to salinity stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFreshwater ecosystems are amongst the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Currently, climate change is one of the most important drivers of freshwater transformation and its effects include changes in the composition, biodiversity and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Understanding the capacity of freshwater species to tolerate the environmental fluctuations induced by climate change is critical to the development of effective conservation strategies.
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