PFOA对斑马鱼胚胎发育、行为和DNA损伤的毒性研究

全氟辛酸(PFOA)是一种分布广泛的环境持久性有机污染物,在野生动物与人体内普遍被检出。目前PFOA发育毒性的特点和机制尚未阐明,已有的研究显示,PFOA毒性与受试物种及性别密切相关。因此,利用不同物种进行PFOA毒性研究对阐明其毒性机制十分重要。本研究选用了斑马鱼这种理想的脊椎动物模型,考察了PFOA暴露对其胚胎发育的自主运动、心跳、行为、细胞凋亡和DNA损伤的影响。研究发现,始于6hpf的PFOA暴露会导致斑马鱼胚胎自主运动异常,心率降低,且具有一定的剂量依赖性;6～24hpf的高浓度的PFOA暴露(>414.0mg·L-1)会导致胚胎发生显著的细胞凋亡,凋亡主要出现在眼部、头部、心脏和尾部。较高浓度的PFOA暴露(165.6mg·L-1)会使仔鱼的光刺激应激行为模式发生变化。此外,PFOA暴露会致使斑马鱼发生DNA损伤,且损伤程度随PFOA浓度的升高而加重,表明PFOA具有一定的基因毒性。上述结果表明,PFOA对斑马鱼胚胎具有发育毒性,具体表现为自主运动异常,心率降低和行为反应能力变弱,同时伴随畸形、细胞凋亡和DNA损伤。     

草甘膦对GC-1小鼠精原细胞的毒性作用及NAC的干预效应

为探讨41%草甘膦水溶液(农达)对雄性生殖细胞的毒性及其作用机制以及N-乙酰半胱氨酸(N-acetylcysteine, NAC)的干预效应。以GC-1小鼠精原细胞为受试细胞,设正常对照组、草甘膦染毒组(60、90、120、150、180 mg·L^-1)、NAC干预组(10 mmol·L^-1 NAC＋90 mg·L^-1农达)。MTT法检测细胞存活率,Giemsa染色法观察细胞的形态学改变,彗星试验检测细胞DNA损伤,比色法检测细胞培养液乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)以及细胞内超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)及丙二醛(MDA)水平的变化。结果显示,随着草甘膦染毒浓度增加,细胞存活率逐渐下降(p<0.01),彗星阳性率逐渐升高(p<0.01);与对照组相比,草甘膦染毒组LDH活性增加(p<0.05,60 mg·L^-1组除外),MDA生成量增多(p<0.05),GSH含量降低(p<0.05)和SOD活性降低(p<0.05)。抗氧化剂NAC预处理具有相应的拮抗作用。研究表明,60～180 mg·L^-1浓度草甘膦对GC-1细胞有明显的损伤作用,其机制可能是草甘膦诱导氧化应激,导致细胞通透性增加和DNA损伤。抗氧化剂NAC对草甘膦的细胞毒性具有一定保护作用。     

敌百虫致小鼠外周血淋巴细胞DNA-蛋白质交联作用研究

为探讨敌百虫致DNA-蛋白质交联作用,以昆明小鼠为受试动物,敌百虫按0、20、40、60 mg·kg^-1四个剂量水平,灌胃染毒小鼠两周。第五组以提取的正常小鼠外周血淋巴细胞经50 μmol·L^-1的H2O2处理为阳性对照组。采用经改进的彗星试验方法来检测染毒后外周血淋巴细胞DNA-蛋白质交联效应。结果表明,与空白组相比,各敌百虫染毒组都能引起DNA损伤作用(p<0.01)并引起一定程度的DNA-蛋白质交联效应,在较高浓度(40、60 mg·kg^-1）时DNA-蛋白质交联尤为明显,存在一定的潜在突变风险。     

Degradation of benzyldimethyl hexadecylammonium chloride by Bacillus niabensis and Thalassospira sp. isolated from marine sediments

Following enrichment in its presence, two strains of bacteria, isolated from marine sediments, were shown to degrade the quaternary ammonium surfactant benzyldimethyl hexadecylammonium chloride (BDHAC) in a minimal salts medium. The bacteria identified by 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing were shown to belong to several genera and determined to be Bacillus niabensis and Thalassospira sp. Initial investigations demonstrated that the bacteria were capable of degrading BDHAC when it was present at concentrations in the range 2–4 mg mL^?1. In media containing BDHAC, up to 90% was degraded within 7 days, but limited growth of the strain was observed at 2 and 4 mg mL^?1 BDHAC. Preliminary analysis of samples after degradation experiment by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry produced a peak with a parent–daughter ion transition of 136 → 91, corresponding to N,N-dimethylbenzylamine. The presence of this potential metabolite suggests the cleavage of the C-alkyl-N bond as a step in BDHAC catabolism.     

The microcystins-induced DNA damage in the liver and the heart of zebrafish,Danio rerio

Microcystins (MCYST) are the freshwater cyanobacterial toxins, known to induce hepatocellular carcinoma, necrosis, intrahepatic bleeding, as well as human and livestock mortality. Within hepatocytes, MCYST selectively bind to protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, resulting in severe liver damage. The toxicology of MCYST in mice and rats has been well studied, but little is known regarding genotoxicity in aquatic animals. In this study, the zebrafish, Danio rerio was exposed to crude extract of Microcystis aeruginosa bloom. Liver and heart were examined for MCYST-induced toxicity. Light microscopy at 36?h revealed severe, widespread apoptotic necrosis of the majority of hepatocytes, and cytoskeletal deformation in myocardiocytes. Hepatocytes were dissociated with cell shrinkage and margination of nuclear chromatin. Laddering of genomic DNA from the liver and heart of the exposed fish in an increment of 180–200?bp was consistent with apoptosis. Fluorimetric analysis of DNA unwinding was carried out to determine the DNA strand breakage. After 36?h exposure, the % double-stranded DNA was significantly reduced in hepatocytes and myocardiocytes. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study indicate that, the extract of M. aeruginosa bloom is genotoxic to fish. The DNA damage observed in this study may be attributed to the activation of DNA endonucleases. This model of DNA damage may contribute for identifying novel molecular mechanisms of interest for therapeutic application.     

Evaluation of environmental stress by comet assay on freshwater snail Lymnea luteola L. exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles

The use of aquatic organisms to monitor for contamination is well-established. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the adverse effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NP) in freshwater snail Lymnea luteola L. (L. luteola). For TiO₂NPs ecotoxicity tests, snails were exposed for seven days. A dose and time-response relationship was observed for TiO₂NP-induced genotoxicity. Induction of oxidative stress in digestive gland was observed by a decrease in glutathione and gluthathions-S-transferase levels accompanied by elevated malondialdehyde levels at TiO₂NP (9 and 28 µg/mL). Superoxide dismutase activities were markedly reduced at TiO₂NP (9 and 28 µg/mL) at days 1 and 3, but not at day 7. Catalase activities were decreased at days 1 and 3 but increased at higher concentration of TiO₂NP at day 7. DNA fragmentation occurring in L. luteola due to ecotoxic impact TiO₂NP was further substantiated by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay and expressed in terms of percent tail DNA and olive tail moment. The results indicate that the interaction of these TiO₂NP with snail influences the toxicity, which is mediated by oxidative stress in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The measurement of DNA integrity in L. luteola thus provides an early warning signal of contamination of the aquatic ecosystem by TiO₂NP. Data suggest the freshwater snail L. luteola is a potential biomonitor organism.     

Chromium binding by calf thymus nuclei and effects on chromatin

1. No binding of chromium was detected after incubation of calf thymus nuclei with hexavalent chromium up to 0.5 mM.

2. Chromium was readily taken up and tightly bound after incubation with trivalent chromium.

3. In a DNA‐filter binding assay, increasing amounts of chromium and DNA were bound with increasing chromium trichloride concentrations incubated with the nuclei.

4. Treatment with proteinase K abolished the increase in DNA retention induced by trivalent chromium.

5. It is concluded that trivalent chromium is the ultimate genetoxic agent after chromate uptake by living cells.

     

Effects of cucl2 on UV‐mutagenesis and on DNA damage in a restriction fragment of E. Coli gpt∗

CuCl₂ does not cause Trp⁺ reversion in E. coli WP2. However, when the bacteria are exposed to CuCl₂ and UV‐irradiated, a greater than 3‐fold enhancement of mutagenesis (compared to UV alone) is seen at 30 μMCuCl₂, and significant enhancement is seen even at 3 μM. The mechanism for this comutagenic effect was studied using a restriction fragment of the E. coli gpt gene. Whereas UV or CuCl₂ alone caused few strand breaks, UV + CuCl₂ induced breaks at every site. This reaction was blocked by KI, a free radical scavenger. While UV alone induced alkali‐labile sites, UV+ CuCl₂ induced many more such sites and altered the sequence specificity. We suggest that at least some of the comutagenic effect might be due to hydroxyl radical formed via a Fenton reaction.     

DNA宏条形码（metabarcoding）技术在浮游植物群落监测研究中的应用

保护生物多样性和生态系统健康是维持生态系统功能和实现人类可持续发展的必要条件。浮游植物作为水生生态系统的初级生产者发挥着重要的生态功能,同时有毒藻类的爆发也会威胁水生态安全。然而,基于形态学的物种鉴定方法难以满足日益增长的水生态环境监测的需求。DNA条形码技术利用基因组特定基因上、短的DNA序列来鉴别生物物种,目前已广泛用于快速物种鉴别。然而其在水生生态系统浮游植物群落的监测中才刚刚起步。由于浮游植物物种多样性高,单基因DNA条形码往往不足以识别所有浮游植物种类;近年来,采用多基因条形码、全叶绿体基因组序列的超级条形码,以及特定DNA条形码方法在单物种和群落水平上区分浮游植物种类的潜力很大。本文综述了浮游植物DNA条形码技术在物种鉴别研究方面的进展,以及DNA宏条形码技术（DNA metabarcoding）在水生浮游植物环境监测的应用现状及前景。     

Modified pretreatment method for total microbial DNA extraction from contaminated river sediment

Extraction of high-quality microbial DNA from contaminated environmental samples is an essential step in microbial ecological study. Based on previously published methods for soil and sediment samples, a modified pretreatment method was developed for extracting microbial DNA from heavily contaminated river sediment samples via selection of optimal pretreatment parameters (i.e., reagent solution, reaction duration, and temperature). The pretreatment procedure involves washing the river sediment sample for three times with a solution containing 0.1 mol·L^-1 ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), 0.1 mol·L^-1 Tris (pH 8.0), 1.5 mol·L^-1 NaCl, 0.1 mol·L^-1 NaH₂PO₄, and Na₂HPO₄ at 65°C with 180 r·min^-1 for 15 min to remove humic materials and heavy metals prior to the employment of standard DNA extraction procedures. We compared the results of standard procedure DNA extraction following pretreatment, without pretreatment, and with using a commercial PowerSoil^TM DNA Isolation Kit. The results indicated that the pretreatment significantly improved the DNA quality based on DNA yield, DNA fragment length, and determination of prokaryotic diversity. Prokaryotic diversity exhibited in the DNA with the pretreatment was also considerably higher than that extracted with the PowerSoil^TM DNA Isolation Kit only. The pretreatment method worked well even with a small amount of sediment sample (0.25 g or even lower). The method provides a novel, simple, cost-effective tool for DNA extraction for microbial community analysis in environmental monitoring and remediation processes.