PUBLICATION

Integrating multi-omics and regular analyses identifies the molecular responses of zebrafish brains to graphene oxide: Perspectives in environmental criteria

Authors
Sun, J., Zhou, Q., Hu, X.
ID
ZDB-PUB-190518-11
Date
2019
Source
Ecotoxicology and environmental safety   180: 269-279 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Energy metabolism, Environmental criteria, Mitochondria, Nanotoxicity, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Brain/drug effects*
  • Brain/metabolism
  • Cytoskeleton/metabolism
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Energy Metabolism/drug effects
  • Gene Expression Profiling/methods
  • Graphite/toxicity*
  • Metabolomics/methods
  • Mitochondria/drug effects
  • Mitochondria/metabolism
  • Nanoparticles/toxicity*
  • Proteomics/methods
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
PubMed
31100591 Full text @ Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.
Abstract
With the broad application of nanoparticles, nanotoxicology has attracted substantial attention in environmental science. However, the methods for detecting few and targeted genes or proteins, even single omics approaches, may miss other responses, including the major responses induced by nanoparticles. To determine the actual toxicological mechanisms of zebrafish brains induced by graphene oxide (GO, a popular carbon-based nanomaterial applied in various fields) at nonlethal concentrations, multi-omics and regular analyses were combined. The biomolecule responses were remarkable, although GO was not obviously observed in brain tissues. The trends for gene and protein changes were the same and accounted for 3.53% and 5.36% of all changes in the genome and proteome, respectively, suggesting a limitation of single omics analysis. Transcriptomics and proteomics analyses indicated that GO affected the functions or pathways of the troponin complex, actin cytoskeleton, monosaccharide transmembrane transporter activity, oxidoreductase activity and focal adhesion. Both metabolomics and proteomics revealed mitochondrial dysfunction and disruption of the citric acid cycle. The integrated analysis of omics, transmission electron microscopy and immunostaining confirmed that GO induced energy disruptions and mitochondrial damage by downregulating tubulin. The combination of multi-omics and regular analyses provides insights into the actual and highly influential mechanisms underlying nanotoxicity.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping