Size-dependent toxicity of nano- and microplastics with zinc oxide nanoparticles in the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus.

This study of the combined toxic effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) and nano- and microplastics (NMPs) on the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus demonstrates that co-exposure leads to significant physiological disruptions. The presence of NMPs increased the acute toxicity of ZnO compared to ZnO-only exposure, particularly in NP rather than MP. Combination exposure reduced both reproduction and population compared to ZnO-only exposure.

In silico identification and characterization of microRNAs from rotifers, cladocerans, and copepods.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules that regulate post-transcription and influence various biological processes across species. Despite various studies of miRNAs in vertebrates, plants, and other organisms, miRNA data in aquatic invertebrates are insufficient. In this study, we identified miRNAs from four aquatic invertebrate species that are widely used in aquatic toxicology: the rotifer Brachionus koreanus, the water flea Daphnia magna, the cyclopoid copepod Paracyclopina nana, and the harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus japonicus, using next-generation sequencing and in silico analysis.

A review of environmental epigenetics in aquatic invertebrates.

Aquatic ecosystems face significant challenges due to increasing human-induced environmental stressors. Recent studies emphasize the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the stress responses and adaptations of organisms to those stressors. Epigenetics influences gene expression, enabling phenotypic plasticity and transgenerational effects.

Non-negligible Toxicity to Fish in the Early Life Stages Triggered by Aqueous Leachate of Takeaway Plastic Containers.

Ordering takeout is a growing social phenomenon and may raise public health concerns. However, the associated health risk of compounds leaching from plastic packaging is unknown due to the lack of chemical and toxicity data. In this study, 20 chemical candidates were tentatively identified in the environmentally relevant leachate from plastic containers through the nontargeted chemical analysis.

Toxicity and speciation of inorganic arsenics and their adverse effects on in vivo endpoints and oxidative stress in the marine medaka Oryzias melastigma.

Here, we investigate the effects of acute and chronic exposure to arsenate (AsV) and arsenite (AsIII) in the marine medaka Oryzias melastigma. In vivo effects, biotransformation, and oxidative stress were studied in marine medaka exposed to the two inorganic arsenics for 4 or 28 days. An investigation of embryonic development revealed no effect on in vivo parameters, but the hatching rate increased in the group exposed to AsIII.

Multigenerational effects of elevated temperature on host-microbiota interactions in the marine water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis exposed to micro- and nanoplastics.

Rising ocean temperatures are driving unprecedented changes in global marine ecosystems. Meanwhile, there is growing concern about microplastic and nanoplastic (MNP) contamination, which can endanger marine organisms. Increasing ocean warming (OW) and plastic pollution inevitably cause marine organisms to interact with MNPs, but relevant studies remain sparse.

Transgenerational adaptation to ocean acidification determines the susceptibility of filter-feeding rotifers to nanoplastics.

The adaptation of marine organisms to the impending challenges presented by ocean acidification (OA) is essential for their future survival, and mechanisms underlying OA adaptation have been reported in several marine organisms. In the natural environment, however, marine organisms are often exposed to a combination of environmental stressors, and the interactions between adaptive responses have yet to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the susceptibility of filter-feeding rotifers to short-term (ST) and long-term (LT) (≥180 generations) high CO conditions coupled with nanoplastic (NPs) exposure (ST+ and LT+).

Synergistic adverse effects of microfibers and freshwater acidification on host-microbiota interactions in the water flea Daphnia magna.

Microfibers are the most common type of microplastics in freshwater environments. Anthropogenic climate stressors, such as freshwater acidification (FA), can interact with plastic pollution to disrupt freshwater ecosystems. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the interactive effects of microfibers and FA on aquatic organisms remain poorly understood.

Nanoplastics induce epigenetic signatures of transgenerational impairments associated with reproduction in copepods under ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification (OA) is one of many major global climate changes that pose a variety of risks to marine ecosystems in different ways. Meanwhile, there is growing concern about how nanoplastics (NPs) affect marine ecosystems. Combined exposure of marine organisms to OA and NPs is inevitable, but their interactive effects remain poorly understood.

Oxidative stress-mediated synergistic deleterious effects of nano- and microplastics in the hypoxia-conditioned marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis.

While pollution due to nano- and micro-sized plastics (NMPs) and hypoxic conditions both occur in coastal areas, the deleterious potential of co-exposure to hypoxia and NMPs (hypoxia and micro-sized plastics, HMPs; hypoxia and nano-sized plastics, HNPs) is largely unclear. Here, we provide evidence for multigenerational effects of HMP and HNP in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis by investigating changes in its life traits, antioxidant system, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway using an orthogonal experimental design, with nanoscale and microscale particles measuring 0.05 μm and 6.

Comparative genome analysis of the monogonont marine rotifer Brachionus manjavacas Australian strain: Potential application for ecotoxicology and environmental genomics.

This is the first study to analyze the whole-genome sequence of B. manjavacas Australian (Aus.) strain through combination of Oxford Nanopore long-read seq, resulting in a total length of 108.

Local lymph node assay: 5-bromo-d-deoxyuridine-ELISA method for comparative study in assessing chemical potencies and skin sensitization in BALB/c and CBA/J strains.

Local lymph node assay (LLNA) is a predictive method to provide estimates of relative potency and to contribute to risk assessment/risk management regarding skin sensitizing potency of chemicals and formulations as a stand-alone alternative test. In addition, LLNA is relatively rapid and cost-effective compared to the Buehler method (Guinea pig test), and confers important animal welfare benefits. CBA/J and BALB/c strains are widely commercially available and have been evaluated by formal LLNA validation studies.

The Genome of the Marine Rotifer Brachionus manjavacas: Genome-Wide Identification of 310 G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) Genes.

The marine rotifer Brachionus manjavacas is widely used in ecological, ecotoxicological, and ecophysiological studies. The reference genome of B. manjavacas is a good starting point to uncover the potential molecular mechanisms of responses to various environmental stressors.

The genome of the freshwater monogonont rotifer Brachionus rubens: Identification of phase I, II, and III detoxification genes.

Monogonont rotifers are common species in aquatic environments and make model species for ecotoxicology studies. Whole genomes of several species of the genus Brachionus have been assembled, but no information on the freshwater rotifer Brachionus rubens has been reported. In this study, the whole-genome sequence of B.

Molecular evidence for suppression of swimming behavior and reproduction in the estuarine rotifer Brachionus koreanus in response to COVID-19 disinfectants.

The increased use of disinfectants due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (e.g. COVID-19) has caused burden in the environment but knowledge on its ecotoxicological impact on the estuary environment is limited.

The freshwater water flea Daphnia magna NIES strain genome as a resource for CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting: The glutathione S-transferase omega 2 gene.

The water flea Daphnia magna is a small freshwater planktonic animal in the Cladocera. In this study, we assembled the genome of the D. magna NIES strain, which is widely used for gene targeting but has no reported genome.

Identification and characterization of homeobox gene clusters in harpacticoid and calanoid copepods.

In this study, we have identified the entire complement of typical homeobox (Hox) genes (Lab, Pb, Dfd, Scr, Antp, Ubx, Abd-A, and Abd-B) in harpacticoid and calanoid copepods and compared them with the cyclopoid copepod Paracyclopina nana. The harpacticoid copepods Tigriopus japonicus and Tigriopus kingsejongensis have seven Hox genes (Lab, Dfd, Scr, Antp, Ubx, Abd-A, and Abd-B) and the Pb and Ftz genes are also present in the cyclopoid copepod P. nana.

iTRAQ-based proteomic profiling, pathway analyses, and apoptotic mechanism in the Antarctic copepod Tigriopus kingsejongensis in response to ultraviolet B radiation.

iTRAQ proteomic profiling was conducted to examine the proteomic responses of the Antarctic copepod Tigriopus kingsejongensis under ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure. Of the 5507 proteins identified, 3479 proteins were annotated and classified into 25 groups using clusters of orthologous genes analysis. After exposing the T.

The genome of the minute marine rotifer Proales similis: Genome-wide identification of 401 G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) genes.

The minute marine rotifer Proales similis is a potential model species for ecotoxicological and ecophysiological studies. Therefore, the provision of whole-genome data for P. similis is an easy way to deepen understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in response to various environmental stressors.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of two marine monogonont rotifer strains.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of German strain were 10,721 bp (mitochondrial DNA I) and 12,274 bp (mitochondrial DNA II) in size, while the complete mitochondrial genomes of Australian strain were 10,889 bp (mitochondrial DNA I) and 12,443 bp (mitochondrial DNA II) in size. Of 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 99.6% of amino acid sequences were identical between the two strains.

Design and Testing of Augmented Reality-Based Fluorescence Imaging Goggle for Intraoperative Imaging-Guided Surgery.

The different pathways between the position of a near-infrared camera and the user's eye limit the use of existing near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems for tumor margin assessments. By utilizing an optical system that precisely matches the near-infrared fluorescence image and the optical path of visible light, we developed an augmented reality (AR)-based fluorescence imaging system that provides users with a fluorescence image that matches the real-field, without requiring any additional algorithms. Commercial smart glasses, dichroic beam splitters, mirrors, and custom near-infrared cameras were employed to develop the proposed system, and each mount was designed and utilized.

The genome of the euryhaline rotifer Brachionus paranguensis: Potential use in molecular ecotoxicology.

Brachionus spp. rotifers have been proposed as model organisms for ecotoxicological studies. We analyzed the whole-genome sequence of B.

Phenotypic and transcriptomic responses of the rotifer Brachionus koreanus by single and combined exposures to nano-sized microplastics and water-accommodated fractions of crude oil.

Sorption of organic pollutants on microplastics can be an alternative uptake route for organic pollutants in aquatic organisms. To assess the combined effects of microplastics and organic pollutants, we employed phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses to the responses of the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus to environmentally relevant concentrations of nano-sized microplastic (0.05 µm), water-accommodated fractions of crude oil, and binary mixtures thereof.