@article{PeresArantesMiahetal.2018, author = {Peres, Tanara Vieira and Arantes, Leticia P. and Miah, Mahfuzur R. and Bornhorst, Julia and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Bowman, Aaron B. and Leal, Rodrigo B. and Aschner, Michael}, title = {Role of Caenorhabditis elegans AKT-1/2 and SGK-1 in Manganese Toxicity}, series = {Neurotoxicity Research}, volume = {34}, journal = {Neurotoxicity Research}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1029-8428}, doi = {10.1007/s12640-018-9915-1}, pages = {584 -- 596}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Excessive levels of the essential metal manganese (Mn) may cause a syndrome similar to Parkinson's disease. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans mimics some of Mn effects in mammals, including dopaminergic neurodegeneration, oxidative stress, and increased levels of AKT. The evolutionarily conserved insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway (IIS) modulates worm longevity, metabolism, and antioxidant responses by antagonizing the transcription factors DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf-2. AKT-1, AKT-2, and SGK-1 act upstream of these transcription factors. To study the role of these proteins in C. elegans response to Mn intoxication, wild-type N2 and loss-of-function mutants were exposed to Mn (2.5 to 100 mM) for 1 h at the L1 larval stage. Strains with loss-of-function in akt-1, akt-2, and sgk-1 had higher resistance to Mn compared to N2 in the survival test. All strains tested accumulated Mn similarly, as shown by ICP-MS. DAF-16 nuclear translocation was observed by fluorescence microscopy in WT and loss-of-function strains exposed to Mn. qRT-PCR data indicate increased expression of γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (GCS-1) antioxidant enzyme in akt-1 mutants. The expression of sod-3 (superoxide dismutase homologue) was increased in the akt-1 mutant worms, independent of Mn treatment. However, dopaminergic neurons degenerated even in the more resistant strains. Dopaminergic function was evaluated with the basal slowing response behavioral test and dopaminergic neuron integrity was evaluated using worms expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the dopamine transporter (DAT-1) promoter. These results suggest that AKT-1/2 and SGK-1 play a role in C. elegans response to Mn intoxication. However, tissue-specific responses may occur in dopaminergic neurons, contributing to degeneration.}, language = {en} } @article{MuellerEbertBornhorstetal.2018, author = {M{\"u}ller, Sandra Marie and Ebert, Franziska and Bornhorst, Julia and Galla, Hans-Joachim and Francesconi, Kevin A. and Schwerdtle, Tanja}, title = {Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons disrupt a model in vitro blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier}, series = {Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology}, volume = {49}, journal = {Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology}, publisher = {Elsevier GMBH}, address = {M{\"u}nchen}, issn = {0946-672X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtemb.2018.01.020}, pages = {171 -- 177}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Lipid-soluble arsenicals, so-called arsenolipids, have gained a lot of attention in the last few years because of their presence in many seafoods and reports showing substantial cytotoxicity emanating from arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs), a prominent subgroup of the arsenolipids. More recent in vivo and in vitro studies indicate that some arsenolipids might have adverse effects on brain health. In the present study, we focused on the effects of selected arsenolipids and three representative metabolites on the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (B-CSF-B), a brain-regulating interface. For this purpose, we incubated an in vitro model of the B-CSF-B composed of porcine choroid plexus epithelial cells (PCPECs) with three AsHCs, two arsenic-containing fatty acids (AsFAs) and three representative arsenolipid metabolites (dimethylarsinic acid, thio/oxo-dimethylpropanoic acid) to examine their cytotoxic potential and impact on barrier integrity. The toxic arsenic species arsenite was also tested in this way and served as a reference substance. While AsFAs and the metabolites showed no cytotoxic effects in the conducted assays, AsHCs showed a strong cytotoxicity, being up to 1.5-fold more cytotoxic than arsenite. Analysis of the in vitro B-CSF-B integrity showed a concentration dependent disruption of the barrier within 72 h. The correlation with the decreased plasma membrane surface area (measured as capacitance) indicates cytotoxic effects. These findings suggest exposure to elevated levels of certain arsenolipids may have detrimental consequences for the central nervous system.}, language = {en} } @article{MuellerEbertRaberetal.2018, author = {M{\"u}ller, Sandra Marie and Ebert, Franziska and Raber, Georg and Meyer, S{\"o}ren and Bornhorst, Julia and H{\"u}wel, Stephan and Galla, Hans-Joachim and Francesconi, Kevin A. and Schwerdtle, Tanja}, title = {Effects of arsenolipids on in vitro blood-brain barrier model}, series = {Archives of toxicology : official journal of EUROTOX}, volume = {92}, journal = {Archives of toxicology : official journal of EUROTOX}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {0340-5761}, pages = {823 -- 832}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs), a subgroup of arsenolipids (AsLs) occurring in fish and edible algae, possess a substantial neurotoxic potential in fully differentiated human brain cells. Previous in vivo studies indicating that AsHCs cross the blood-brain barrier of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster raised the question whether AsLs could also cross the vertebrate blood-brain barrier (BBB). In the present study, we investigated the impact of several representatives of AsLs (AsHC 332, AsHC 360, AsHC 444, and two arsenic-containing fatty acids, AsFA 362 and AsFA 388) as well as of their metabolites (thio/oxo-dimethylpropionic acid, dimethylarsinic acid) on porcine brain capillary endothelial cells (PBCECs, in vitro model for the blood-brain barrier). AsHCs exerted the strongest cytotoxic effects of all investigated arsenicals as they were up to fivefold more potent than the toxic reference species arsenite (iAsIII). In our in vitro BBB-model, we observed a slight transfer of AsHC 332 across the BBB after 6 h at concentrations that do not affect the barrier integrity. Furthermore, incubation with AsHCs for 72 h led to a disruption of the barrier at sub-cytotoxic concentrations. The subsequent immunocytochemical staining of three tight junction proteins revealed a significant impact on the cell membrane. Because AsHCs enhance the permeability of the in vitro blood-brain barrier, a similar behavior in an in vivo system cannot be excluded. Consequently, AsHCs might facilitate the transfer of accompanying foodborne toxicants into the brain.}, language = {en} } @article{CroneAschnerSchwerdtleetal.2015, author = {Crone, Barbara and Aschner, Michael A. and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Karst, Uwe and Bornhorst, Julia}, title = {Elemental bioimaging of Cisplatin in Caenorhabditis elegans by LA-ICP-MS}, series = {Metallomics}, volume = {2015}, journal = {Metallomics}, number = {7}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1756-591X}, doi = {10.1039/c5mt00096c}, pages = {1189 -- 1195}, year = {2015}, abstract = {cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (Cisplatin) is one of the most important and frequently used cytostatic drugs for the treatment of various solid tumors. Herein, a laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) method incorporating a fast and simple sample preparation protocol was developed for the elemental mapping of Cisplatin in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The method allows imaging of the spatially-resolved elemental distribution of platinum in the whole organism with respect to the anatomic structure in L4 stage worms at a lateral resolution of 5 μm. In addition, a dose- and time-dependent Cisplatin uptake was corroborated quantitatively by a total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) method, and the elemental mapping indicated that Cisplatin is located in the intestine and in the head of the worms. Better understanding of the distribution of Cisplatin in this well-established model organism will be instrumental in deciphering Cisplatin toxicity and pharmacokinetics. Since the cytostatic effect of Cisplatin is based on binding the DNA by forming intra- and interstrand crosslinks, the response of poly(ADP-ribose)metabolism enzyme 1 (pme-1) deletion mutants to Cisplatin was also examined. Loss of pme-1, which is the C. elegans ortholog of human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) led to disturbed DNA damage response. With respect to survival and brood size, pme-1 deletion mutants were more sensitive to Cisplatin as compared to wildtype worms, while Cisplatin uptake was indistinguishable.}, language = {en} } @article{RohnMarschallKroepfletal.2018, author = {Rohn, Isabelle and Marschall, Talke Anu and Kr{\"o}pfl, Nina and Jensen, Kenneth Bendix and Aschner, Michael and Tuck, Simon and Kuehnelt, Doris and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Bornhorst, Julia}, title = {Selenium species-dependent toxicity, bioavailability and metabolic transformations in Caenorhabditis elegans}, series = {Metallomics : integrated biometal science}, volume = {10}, journal = {Metallomics : integrated biometal science}, number = {6}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1756-5901}, doi = {10.1039/c8mt00066b}, pages = {818 -- 827}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The essential micronutrient selenium (Se) is required for various systemic functions, but its beneficial range is narrow and overexposure may result in adverse health effects. Additionally, the chemical form of the ingested selenium contributes crucially to its health effects. While small Se species play a major role in Se metabolism, their toxicological effects, bioavailability and metabolic transformations following elevated uptake are poorly understood. Utilizing the tractable invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans allowed for an alternative approach to study species-specific characteristics of organic and inorganic Se forms in vivo, revealing remarkable species-dependent differences in the toxicity and bioavailability of selenite, selenomethionine (SeMet) and Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys). An inverse relationship was found between toxicity and bioavailability of the Se species, with the organic species displaying a higher bioavailability than the inorganic form, yet being less toxic. Quantitative Se speciation analysis with HPLC/mass spectrometry revealed a partial metabolism of SeMet and MeSeCys. In SeMet exposed worms, identified metabolites were Se-adenosylselenomethionine (AdoSeMet) and Se-adenosylselenohomocysteine (AdoSeHcy), while worms exposed to MeSeCys produced Se-methylselenoglutathione (MeSeGSH) and -glutamyl-MeSeCys (-Glu-MeSeCys). Moreover, the possible role of the sole selenoprotein in the nematode, thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR-1), was studied comparing wildtype and trxr-1 deletion mutants. Although a lower basal Se level was detected in trxr-1 mutants, Se toxicity and bioavailability following acute exposure was indistinguishable from wildtype worms. Altogether, the current study demonstrates the suitability of C. elegans as a model for Se species dependent toxicity and metabolism, while further research is needed to elucidate TrxR-1 function in the nematode.}, language = {en} } @article{RohnRaschkeAschneretal.2019, author = {Rohn, Isabelle and Raschke, Stefanie and Aschner, Michael and Tuck, Simon and Kuehnelt, Doris and Kipp, Anna Patricia and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Bornhorst, Julia}, title = {Treatment of caenorhabditis elegans with small selenium species enhances antioxidant defense systems}, series = {Molecular nutrition \& food research : bioactivity, chemistry, immunology, microbiology, safety, technology}, volume = {63}, journal = {Molecular nutrition \& food research : bioactivity, chemistry, immunology, microbiology, safety, technology}, number = {9}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1613-4125}, doi = {10.1002/mnfr.201801304}, pages = {9}, year = {2019}, abstract = {ScopeSmall selenium (Se) species play a key role in Se metabolism and act as dietary sources of the essential trace element. However, they are redox-active and trigger pro- and antioxidant responses. As health outcomes are strongly species-dependent, species-specific characteristics of Se compounds are tested in vivo. Methods and resultsIn the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), immediate and sustained effects of selenite, selenomethionine (SeMet), and Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys) are studied regarding their bioavailability, incorporation into proteins, as well as modulation of the cellular redox status. While all tested Se compounds are bioavailable, only SeMet persistently accumulates and is non-specifically incorporated into proteins. However, the protection toward chemically-induced formation of reactive species is independent of the applied Se compound. Increased thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) activity and changes in mRNA expression levels of antioxidant proteins indicate the activation of cellular defense mechanisms. However, in txnrd-1 deletion mutants, no protective effects of the Se species are observed anymore, which is also reflected by differential gene expression data. ConclusionSe species protect against chemically-induced reactive species formation. The identified immediate and sustained systemic effects of Se species give rise to speculations on possible benefits facing subsequent periods of inadequate Se intake.}, language = {en} } @article{NicolaiWeishauptBaesleretal.2021, author = {Nicolai, Merle Marie and Weishaupt, Ann-Kathrin and Baesler, Jessica and Brinkmann, Vanessa and Wellenberg, Anna and Winkelbeiner, Nicola Lisa and Gremme, Anna and Aschner, Michael and Fritz, Gerhard and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Bornhorst, Julia}, title = {Effects of manganese on genomic integrity in the multicellular model organism Caenorhabditis elegans}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {22}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {20}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms222010905}, pages = {16}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Although manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element, overexposure is associated with Mn-induced toxicity and neurological dysfunction. Even though Mn-induced oxidative stress is discussed extensively, neither the underlying mechanisms of the potential consequences of Mn-induced oxidative stress on DNA damage and DNA repair, nor the possibly resulting toxicity are characterized yet. In this study, we use the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the mode of action of Mn toxicity, focusing on genomic integrity by means of DNA damage and DNA damage response. Experiments were conducted to analyze Mn bioavailability, lethality, and induction of DNA damage. Different deletion mutant strains were then used to investigate the role of base excision repair (BER) and dePARylation (DNA damage response) proteins in Mn-induced toxicity. The results indicate a dose- and time-dependent uptake of Mn, resulting in increased lethality. Excessive exposure to Mn decreases genomic integrity and activates BER. Altogether, this study characterizes the consequences of Mn exposure on genomic integrity and therefore broadens the molecular understanding of pathways underlying Mn-induced toxicity. Additionally, studying the basal poly(ADP-ribosylation) (PARylation) of worms lacking poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) parg-1 or parg-2 (two orthologue of PARG), indicates that parg-1 accounts for most of the glycohydrolase activity in worms.}, language = {en} } @article{KuhnTavaresJacquesTeixeiraetal.2021, author = {Kuhn, Eug{\^e}nia Carla and Tavares Jacques, Maur{\´i}cio and Teixeira, Daniela and Meyer, S{\"o}ren and Gralha, Thiago and Roehrs, Rafael and Camargo, Sandro and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Bornhorst, Julia and {\´A}vila, Daiana Silva}, title = {Ecotoxicological assessment of Uruguay River and affluents pre- and biomonitoring}, series = {Environmental science and pollution research : ESPR}, volume = {28}, journal = {Environmental science and pollution research : ESPR}, number = {17}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin ; Heidelberg}, issn = {0944-1344}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-020-11986-4}, pages = {21730 -- 21741}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Uruguay River is the most important river in western Rio Grande do Sul, separating Brazil from Argentina and Uruguay. However, its pollution is of great concern due to agricultural activities in the region and the extensive use of pesticides. In a long term, this practice leads to environmental pollution, especially to the aquatic system. The objective of this study was to analyze the physicochemical characteristics, metals and pesticides levels in water samples obtained before and after the planting and pesticides' application season from three sites: Uruguay River and two minor affluents, Mezomo Dam and Salso Stream. For biomonitoring, the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was used, which were exposed for 24 h. We did not find any significant alteration in physicochemical parameters. In the pre- and post-pesticides' samples we observed a residual presence of three pesticides (tebuconazole, imazethapyr, and clomazone) and metals which levels were above the recommended (As, Hg, Fe, and Mn). Exposure to both pre- and post-pesticides' samples impaired C. elegans reproduction and post-pesticides samples reduced worms' survival rate and lifespan. PCA analysis indicated that the presence of metals and pesticides are important variables that impacted C. elegans biological endpoints. Our data demonstrates that Uruguay River and two affluents are contaminated independent whether before or after pesticides' application season. In addition, it reinforces the usefulness of biological indicators, since simple physicochemical analyses are not sufficient to attest water quality and ecological safety.}, language = {en} } @article{VaraoMouraAparecidoRosiniSilvaDomingosSantodaSilvaetal.2022, author = {Var{\~a}o Moura, Alexandre and Aparecido Rosini Silva, Alex and Domingos Santo da Silva, Jos{\´e} and Aleixo Leal Pedroza, Lucas and Bornhorst, Julia and Stiboller, Michael and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Gubert, Priscila}, title = {Determination of ions in Caenorhabditis elegans by ion chromatography}, series = {Journal of chromatography. B}, volume = {1204}, journal = {Journal of chromatography. B}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam [u.a.]}, issn = {1570-0232}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123312}, pages = {6}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a model organism that has been increasingly used in health and environmental toxicity assessments. The quantification of such elements in vivo can assist in studies that seek to relate the exposure concentration to possible biological effects. Therefore, this study is the first to propose a method of quantitative analysis of 21 ions by ion chromatography (IC), which can be applied in different toxicity studies in C. elegans. The developed method was validated for 12 anionic species (fluoride, acetate, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, sulfate, oxalate, molybdate, dichromate, phosphate, and perchlorate), and 9 cationic species (lithium, sodium, ammonium, thallium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, and barium). The method did not present the presence of interfering species, with R2 varying between 0.9991 and 0.9999, with a linear range from 1 to 100 mu g L-1. Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) values ranged from 0.2319 mu g L-1 to 1.7160 mu g L-1 and 0.7028 mu g L-1 to 5.1999 mu g L-1, respectively. The intraday and interday precision tests showed an Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) below 10.0 \% and recovery ranging from 71.0 \% to 118.0 \% with a maximum RSD of 5.5 \%. The method was applied to real samples of C. elegans treated with 200 uM of thallium acetate solution, determining the uptake and bioaccumulated Tl+ content during acute exposure.}, language = {en} } @article{RuszkiewiczdeMacedoMirandaVizueteetal.2019, author = {Ruszkiewicz, Joanna A. and de Macedo, Gabriel Teixeira and Miranda-Vizuete, Antonio and Bowman, Aaron B. and Bornhorst, Julia and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Antunes Soares, Felix A. and Aschner, Michael}, title = {Sex-Specific response of caenorhabditis elegans to Methylmercury Toxicity}, series = {Neurotoxicity Research}, volume = {35}, journal = {Neurotoxicity Research}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1029-8428}, doi = {10.1007/s12640-018-9949-4}, pages = {208 -- 216}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Methylmercury (MeHg), an abundant environmental pollutant, has long been known to adversely affect neurodevelopment in both animals and humans. Several reports from epidemiological studies, as well as experimental data indicate sex-specific susceptibility to this neurotoxicant; however, the molecular bases of this process are still not clear. In the present study, we used Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), to investigate sex differences in response to MeHg toxicity during development. Worms at different developmental stage (L1, L4, and adult) were treated with MeHg for 1h. Lethality assays revealed that male worms exhibited significantly higher resistance to MeHg than hermaphrodites, when at L4 stage or adults. However, the number of worms with degenerated neurons was unaffected by MeHg, both in males and hermaphrodites. Lower susceptibility of males was not related to changes in mercury (Hg) accumulation, which was analogous for both wild-type (wt) and male-rich him-8 strain. Total glutathione (GSH) levels decreased upon MeHg in him-8, but not in wt. Moreover, the sex-dependent response of the cytoplasmic thioredoxin system was observedmales exhibited significantly higher expression of thioredoxin TRX-1, and thioredoxin reductase TRXR-1 expression was downregulated upon MeHg treatment only in hermaphrodites. These outcomes indicate that the redox status is an important contributor to sex-specific sensitivity to MeHg in C. elegans.}, language = {en} }