Exposure of silver nanocolloids causes glycosylation disorders and embryonic deformities in medaka

This study addressed the glycobiological effects of SNC exposure on medaka embryogenesis. After exposure of medaka embryos to SNC, deformities such as small heads and deformed eyes were observed. The expression of five glycan-related genes (alg2, gnsb, b4galt2, b3gat1a, and b3gat2) was significantly altered, with changes depending on the embryonic stage at exposure, with more severe deformities with exposure at earlier stages. In situ hybridization analyses indicated that the five genes were expressed mainly in the head region; exposure of SNC suppressed alg2 and gnsb and enhanced b4galt2 and b3gat1a expression relative to controls on day 7. Loss (siRNA)- and gain (RNA overexpression)-of-function experiments confirmed that alg2, gnsb, and b4galt2 are essential for embryogenesis. The effects of SNC exposure on glycan synthesis were estimated by glycan structure analysis. In the medaka embryo, high mannose-type glycans were dominant, and SNC exposure altered glycan synthesis. The alteration was more significant when exposure occurred at an early stage of medaka embryogenesis. Thus, SNC exposure causes embryonic deformities in medaka embryos through disordered glycosylation.PMID:34543669 | DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2021.115714
Source: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology - Category: Toxicology Authors: Source Type: research