Issue 1, 2022

Increase in germline methyltransferases governing the methylation of histone H3K9 is associated with transgenerational nanoplastic toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

In Caenorhabditis elegans, long-term exposure to 20 nm polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) caused transgenerational toxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms for induction of this transgenerational PS-NP toxicity remain largely unknown. We here determined the role of germline histone methyltransferases (HMTs) in controlling transgenerational PS-NP toxicity in nematodes. Among the germline genes encoding HMTs, PS-NP (1–100 μg L−1) exposure dysregulated met-2, ttll-12, set-5, set-6, set-12, and set-23 expressions. Among the germline genes encoding HMTs, only germline RNAi knockdown of met-2 and set-6, two genes required for methylation of H3K9, affected PS-NP toxicity at the P0 generation. Additionally, PS-NP exposure resulted in a transgenerational increase in the expressions of met-2 and set-6, and the transgenerational PS-NP toxicity was prevented in met-2(RNAi) and set-6(RNAi) nematodes. Therefore, an increase in the expression of MET-2 and SET-6, two HMTs required for methylation of H3K9, mediated the induction of transgenerational toxicity after PS-NP exposure. Moreover, in germline cells, MET-2 regulated the transgenerational PS-NP toxicity by increasing the expression and function of two downstream targets, PAT-12 and WRT-3, which provided an important basis for germline MET-2 in controlling transgenerational PS-NP toxicity in nematodes.

Graphical abstract: Increase in germline methyltransferases governing the methylation of histone H3K9 is associated with transgenerational nanoplastic toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Sept. 2021
Accepted
24 Nov. 2021
First published
25 Nov. 2021

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022,9, 265-274

Increase in germline methyltransferases governing the methylation of histone H3K9 is associated with transgenerational nanoplastic toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

L. Zhang, S. Wang, Y. Zhao, K. Bi and D. Wang, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022, 9, 265 DOI: 10.1039/D1EN00835H

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