Proteomic and metabolic responses in zebrafish embryos exposed to polystyrene nanoparticles and perfluorooctane sulfonate

Abstract

The coexistence of nanoplastics and organic pollutants in aquatic environments is common and leads to combined effects on organisms. This study investigated the biological effects of zebrafish embryos subjected to individual and combined treatments of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) by analyzing morphological changes, as well as proteomic and metabolic responses. Exposure to 200 μg L⁻¹ PSNPs and/or 100 μg L⁻¹ PFOS at 48 hour post-fertilization (hpf) for six days resulted in increased deformities in zebrafish embryos, including spinal deformities, pericardial edema, and other abnormalities. As the exposure time increased, the combined exposure group demonstrated additive/synergistic embryolethal effects. Proteomic analysis revealed changes in protein expression levels, with 439, 421, and 692 proteins showing altered expression in the PSNPs, PFOS, and co-exposure groups, respectively. These proteins are primarily associated with protein synthesis and transport, energy metabolism, and cardiac muscle contraction. Specifically, in the combined exposure group, certain key proteins related to cardiac muscle contraction, such as sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a) and tropomyosin (TPM), showed increased expression, possibly as an adaptive response to pericardial edema. Metabolic analysis revealed that differential metabolites caused by the exposures were mainly involved in the synthesis and metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleotides, indicating extensive metabolic disruption in the embryo. This study offers insights at the protein and metabolite levels into the biological effects of individual and combined exposures to PSNPs and PFOS, providing evidence of the ecological risks associated with environmental exposure to PFOS and PSNPs.