es9b06386_si_001.pdf (1.95 MB)
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Size-Dependent Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Immune and Secretory Cell Populations from Zebrafish Intestines
journal contribution
posted on 2020-03-04, 21:14 authored by Weiqing Gu, Su Liu, Ling Chen, Yuxuan Liu, Cheng Gu, Hong-qiang Ren, Bing WuMicroplastics (MPs) as widespread
contamination pose a high risk
for aquatic organisms. However, the current understanding of MP toxicity
is based on cell population-averaged measurements. Our aim was to
gain a comprehensive understanding of the size-dependent effects of
polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) on intestinal cell populations in zebrafish
and characterize the interplay of MPs, intestinal cells, and intestinal
microbiota. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to determine
the transcriptome heterogeneity of 12 000 intestinal cells
obtained from zebrafish exposed to 100 nm, 5 μm, and 200 μm
PS-MPs for 21 days. Eight intestinal cell populations were identified.
Combined with changes in intestinal microbiota, our findings highlight
a previously unrecognized end point that all three sizes of PS-MPs
induced dysfunction of intestinal immune cells (including effects
on phagosomes and the regulation of immune system processes) and increased
the abundance of pathogenic bacteria. However, only 100 nm PS-MPs
altered the expression of genes related to phagocyte-produced reactive
oxygen species (ROS) generation and increased mucus secretion by secretory
cells. Microsize PS-MPs specifically changed the lysosome (5 μm)
and cell surface receptor signaling (200 μm) processes of the
macrophages. Our findings pinpoint to cell-specific and size-dependent
responses to PS-MPs in fish intestine, which can provide a reference
for future study directions.