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28 pages, 3005 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Multi-Matrix Metabolomic Approach in Ringed Seals and Beluga Whales to Evaluate Contaminant and Climate-Related Stressors

by Antoine É. Simond, Marie Noël, Lisa Loseto, Magali Houde, Jane Kirk, Ashley Elliott and Tanya M. Brown

Metabolites 2022, 12(9), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12090813 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3086

Abstract

As a high trophic-level species, ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) are particularly vulnerable to elevated concentrations of biomagnifying contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and mercury (Hg). These species also face [...] Read more.

As a high trophic-level species, ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) are particularly vulnerable to elevated concentrations of biomagnifying contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and mercury (Hg). These species also face climate-change-related impacts which are leading to alterations in their diet and associated contaminant exposure. The metabolomic profile of marine mammal tissues and how it changes to environmental stressors is poorly understood. This study characterizes the profiles of 235 metabolites across plasma, liver, and inner and outer blubber in adult ringed seals and beluga whales and assesses how these profiles change as a consequence of contaminants and dietary changes. In both species, inner and outer blubber were characterized by a greater proportion of lipid classes, whereas the dominant metabolites in liver and plasma were amino acids, carbohydrates, biogenic amines and lysophosphatidylcholines. Several metabolite profiles in ringed seal plasma correlated with δ¹³C, while metabolite profiles in blubber were affected by hexabromobenzene in ringed seals and PBDEs and Hg in belugas. This study provides insight into inter-matrix similarities and differences across tissues and suggests that plasma and liver are more suitable for studying changes in diet, whereas liver and blubber are more suitable for studying the impacts of contaminants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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19 pages, 2083 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Host–Gut Microbiome Metabolic Interactions in PFAS-Impacted Freshwater Turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii)

by David J. Beale, Thao V. Nguyen, Rohan M. Shah, Andrew Bissett, Akhikun Nahar, Matthew Smith, Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo, Christoph Braun, Brenda Baddiley and Suzanne Vardy

Metabolites 2022, 12(8), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12080747 - 16 Aug 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3952

Abstract

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a growing concern for humans, wildlife, and more broadly, ecosystem health. Previously, we characterised the microbial and biochemical impact of elevated PFAS on the gut microbiome of freshwater turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii) within a contaminated catchment [...] Read more.

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a growing concern for humans, wildlife, and more broadly, ecosystem health. Previously, we characterised the microbial and biochemical impact of elevated PFAS on the gut microbiome of freshwater turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii) within a contaminated catchment in Queensland, Australia. However, the understanding of PFAS impacts on this species and other aquatic organisms is still very limited, especially at the host–gut microbiome molecular interaction level. To this end, the present study aimed to apply these leading-edge omics technologies within an integrated framework that provides biological insight into the host turtle–turtle gut microbiome interactions of PFAS-impacted wild-caught freshwater turtles. For this purpose, faecal samples from PFAS-impacted turtles (n = 5) and suitable PFAS-free reference turtles (n = 5) were collected and analysed. Data from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metabolomic profiling of the turtle faeces were integrated using MetOrigin to assign host, microbiome, and co-metabolism activities. Significant variation in microbial composition was observed between the two turtle groups. The PFAS-impacted turtles showed a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and a lower relative abundance of Bacteroidota than the reference turtles. The faecal metabolome showed several metabolites and pathways significantly affected by PFAS exposure. Turtles exposed to PFAS displayed altered amino acid and butanoate metabolisms, as well as altered purine and pyrimidine metabolism. It is predicted from this study that PFAS-impacted both the metabolism of the host turtle and its gut microbiota which in turn has the potential to influence the host’s physiology and health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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22 pages, 1078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early Biological Modulations Resulting from 1-Week Venlafaxine Exposure of Marine Mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis Determined by a Metabolomic Approach

by Gaëlle Ramirez, Elena Gomez, Thibaut Dumas, David Rosain, Olivier Mathieu, Hélène Fenet and Frédérique Courant

Metabolites 2022, 12(3), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12030197 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2458

Abstract

There is growing evidence of the presence of pharmaceuticals in natural waters and their accumulation in aquatic organisms. While their mode of action on non-target organisms is still not clearly understood, their effects warrant assessment. The present study assessed the metabolome of the [...] Read more.

There is growing evidence of the presence of pharmaceuticals in natural waters and their accumulation in aquatic organisms. While their mode of action on non-target organisms is still not clearly understood, their effects warrant assessment. The present study assessed the metabolome of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) exposed to a 10 µg/L nominal concentration of the antidepressant venlafaxine (VLF) at 3 time-points (1, 3, and 7 days). Over the exposure period, we observed up- or down-modulations of 113 metabolites, belonging to several metabolisms, e.g., amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, etc.), purine and pyrimidine metabolisms (adenosine, cyclic AMP, thymidine, etc.), and several other metabolites involved in diverse functions. Serotonin showed the same time-course modulation pattern in both male and female mussels, which was consistent with its mode of action in humans, i.e., after a slight decrease on the first day of exposure, its levels increased at day 7 in exposed mussels. We found that the modulation pattern of impacted metabolites was not constant over time and it was gender-specific, as male and female mussels responded differently to VLF exposure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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19 pages, 4358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatially Mapping the Baseline and Bisphenol-A Exposed Daphnia magna Lipidome Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization—Mass Spectrometry

by Matthew J. Smith, Ralf J. M. Weber and Mark R. Viant

Metabolites 2022, 12(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12010033 - 1 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3035

Abstract

Untargeted lipidomics has previously been applied to the study of daphnids and the discovery of biomarkers that are indicative of toxicity. Typically, liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry is used to measure the changes in lipid abundance in whole-body homogenates of daphnids, each only ca. 3 [...] Read more.

Untargeted lipidomics has previously been applied to the study of daphnids and the discovery of biomarkers that are indicative of toxicity. Typically, liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry is used to measure the changes in lipid abundance in whole-body homogenates of daphnids, each only ca. 3 mm in length which limits any biochemical interpretation of site-specific toxicity. Here, we applied mass spectrometry imaging of Daphnia magna to combine untargeted lipidomics with spatial resolution to map the molecular perturbations to defined anatomical regions. A desorption electrospray ionization—mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) method was optimized and applied to tissue sections of daphnids exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA) compared to unexposed controls, generating an untargeted mass spectrum at each pixel (35 µm²/pixel) within each section. First, unique lipid profiles from distinct tissue types were identified in whole-body daphnids using principal component analysis, specifically distinguishing appendages, eggs, eye, and gut. Second, changes in the lipidome were mapped over four stages of normal egg development and then the effect of BPA exposure on the egg lipidome was characterized. The primary perturbations to the lipidome were annotated as triacylglycerides and phosphatidylcholine, and the distributions of the individual lipid species within these classes were visualized in whole-body D. magna sections as ion images. Using an optimized DESI-MS workflow, the first ion images of D. magna tissue sections were generated, mapping both their baseline and BPA-perturbed lipidomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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18 pages, 1374 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals a Complex Impact on Different Metabolic Pathways in Scallop Mimachlamys varia (Linnaeus, 1758) after Short-Term Exposure to Copper at Environmental Dose

by Vincent Hamani, Pascaline Ory, Pierre-Edouard Bodet, Laurence Murillo and Marianne Graber

Metabolites 2021, 11(12), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11120862 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3172

Abstract

Ports are a good example of how coastal environments, gathering a set of diverse ecosystems, are subjected to pollution factors coming from human activities both on land and at sea. Among them, trace element as copper represents a major factor. Abundant in port [...] Read more.

Ports are a good example of how coastal environments, gathering a set of diverse ecosystems, are subjected to pollution factors coming from human activities both on land and at sea. Among them, trace element as copper represents a major factor. Abundant in port ecosystem, copper is transported by runoff water and results from diverse port features (corrosion of structures, fuel, anti-fouling products, etc.). The variegated scallop Mimachlamys varia is common in the Atlantic port areas and is likely to be directly influenced by copper pollution, due to its sessile and filtering lifestyle. Thus, the aim of the present study is to investigate the disruption of the variegated scallop metabolism, under a short exposure (48 h) to a copper concentration frequently encountered in the waters of the largest marina in Europe (82 μg/L). For this, we chose a non-targeted metabolomic approach using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS), offering a high level of sensitivity and allowing the study without a priori of the entire metabolome. We described 28 metabolites clearly modulated by copper. They reflected the action of copper on several biological functions such as osmoregulation, oxidative stress, reproduction and energy metabolism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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10 pages, 1009 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Targeted Metabolomics to Assess Exposure to Environmental Chemicals of Concern in Japanese Quail at Two Life Stages

by Elena Legrand, Niladri Basu, Markus Hecker, Doug Crump, Jianguo Xia, Bharat Chandramouli, Heather Butler and Jessica A. Head

Metabolites 2021, 11(12), 850; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11120850 - 8 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2721

Abstract

This proof-of-concept study characterizes the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) hepatic metabolome following exposure to benzo[a]pyrene, chlorpyrifos, ethinylestradiol, fluoxetine hydrochloride, hexabromocyclododecane, lead(II)nitrate, seleno-L-methionine, and trenbolone in embryos and adults. The analysis revealed effects on lipid metabolism following exposure to several chemicals at [...] Read more.

This proof-of-concept study characterizes the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) hepatic metabolome following exposure to benzo[a]pyrene, chlorpyrifos, ethinylestradiol, fluoxetine hydrochloride, hexabromocyclododecane, lead(II)nitrate, seleno-L-methionine, and trenbolone in embryos and adults. The analysis revealed effects on lipid metabolism following exposure to several chemicals at both life stages. The most pronounced effects were observed in embryos exposed to 41.1 μg/g chlorpyrifos. This work highlighted challenges and the need for further avian metabolomics studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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14 pages, 15967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dufulin on Oxidative Stress and Metabolomic Profile of Tubifex

by Yile Yu, Yuxin Zhu, Jing Yang, Wentao Zhu, Zhiqiang Zhou and Renke Zhang

Metabolites 2021, 11(6), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11060381 - 11 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3224

Abstract

Dufulin is a highly effective antiviral pesticide used in plants. In this study, a seven-day experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Dufulin at five different concentrations (1 × 10⁻⁴, 1 × 10⁻³, 1 × 10⁻², [...] Read more.

Dufulin is a highly effective antiviral pesticide used in plants. In this study, a seven-day experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Dufulin at five different concentrations (1 × 10⁻⁴, 1 × 10⁻³, 1 × 10⁻², 0.1, and 1 mg/L) on Tubifex. LC-MS-based metabolome analysis detected a total of 5356 features in positive and 9110 features in negative, of which 41 showed significant changes and were identified as differential metabolites. Four metabolic pathways were selected for further study. Detailed analysis revealed that Dufulin exposure affected the urea cycle of Tubifex, probably via argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) inhibition. It also affected the fatty acid metabolism, leading to changes in the concentration of free fatty acids in Tubifex. Furthermore, the changes in metabolites after exposure to Dufulin at 1 × 10⁻² mg/L were different from those at the other concentrations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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Review

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11 pages, 1138 KiB

Open AccessReview

Environmental Metabolomics Promises and Achievements in the Field of Aquatic Ecotoxicology: Viewed through the Pharmaceutical Lens

by Thibaut Dumas, Frédérique Courant, Hélène Fenet and Elena Gomez

Metabolites 2022, 12(2), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12020186 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2881

Abstract

Scientists often set ambitious targets using environmental metabolomics to address challenging ecotoxicological issues. This promising approach has a high potential to elucidate the mechanisms of action (MeOAs) of contaminants (in hazard assessments) and to develop biomarkers (in environmental biomonitoring). However, metabolomics fingerprints often [...] Read more.

Scientists often set ambitious targets using environmental metabolomics to address challenging ecotoxicological issues. This promising approach has a high potential to elucidate the mechanisms of action (MeOAs) of contaminants (in hazard assessments) and to develop biomarkers (in environmental biomonitoring). However, metabolomics fingerprints often involve a complex mixture of molecular effects that are hard to link to a specific MeOA (if detected in the analytical conditions used). Given these promises and limitations, here we propose an updated review on the achievements of this approach. Metabolomics-based studies conducted on the effects of pharmaceutical active compounds in aquatic organisms provide a relevant means to review the achievements of this approach, as prior knowledge about the MeOA of these molecules could help overcome some shortcomings. This review highlighted that current metabolomics advances have enabled more accurate MeOA assessment, especially when combined with other omics approaches. The combination of metabolomics with other measured biological endpoints has also turned out to be an efficient way to link molecular effects to (sub)-individual adverse outcomes, thereby paving the way to the construction of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs). Here, we also discuss the importance of determining MeOA as a key strategy in the identification of MeOA-specific biomarkers for biomonitoring. We have put forward some recommendations to take full advantage of environmental metabolomics and thus help fulfil these promises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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25 pages, 895 KiB

Open AccessReview

Metabolomic Studies for the Evaluation of Toxicity Induced by Environmental Toxicants on Model Organisms

by Hyung Min Kim and Jong Seong Kang

Metabolites 2021, 11(8), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11080485 - 27 Jul 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4270

Abstract

Environmental pollution causes significant toxicity to ecosystems. Thus, acquiring a deeper understanding of the concentration of environmental pollutants in ecosystems and, clarifying their potential toxicities is of great significance. Environmental metabolomics is a powerful technique in investigating the effects of pollutants on living [...] Read more.

Environmental pollution causes significant toxicity to ecosystems. Thus, acquiring a deeper understanding of the concentration of environmental pollutants in ecosystems and, clarifying their potential toxicities is of great significance. Environmental metabolomics is a powerful technique in investigating the effects of pollutants on living organisms in the environment. In this review, we cover the different aspects of the environmental metabolomics approach, which allows the acquisition of reliable data. A step-by-step procedure from sample preparation to data interpretation is also discussed. Additionally, other factors, including model organisms and various types of emerging environmental toxicants are discussed. Moreover, we cover the considerations for successful environmental metabolomics as well as the identification of toxic effects based on data interpretation in combination with phenotype assays. Finally, the effects induced by various types of environmental toxicants in model organisms based on the application of environmental metabolomics are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Metabolomic in Ecotoxicology)

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