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The Impact of Environmental Toxicants on Genetic and Epigenetic Stability
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The Impact of Environmental Toxicants on Genetic and Epigenetic Stability

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2023) | Viewed by 7284

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mu-Rong Chao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Interests: analytical toxicology; biomolecular mass spectrometry; DNA/RNA adductomics; exposomics
Prof. Dr. Marcus S. Cooke

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
Interests: oxidative stress; genomic instability; DNA repair; DNA/RNA adductomics; biomarkers; exposomics
Prof. Dr. Chiung-Wen Hu

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Interests: analytical toxicology; biomolecular mass spectrometry; DNA adductomics; clinical chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollutants and toxicants are widespread throughout the world, which include various materials and chemicals, and range from the by-products of combustion to residual trace metals and organic compounds. Exposure to environmental toxicants is a well-documented predisposing factor for cancer. The development of cancer is driven by the accumulation of alterations affecting the structure and function of the genome. Exposure to toxicants can cause DNA damage either directly by the parent compound and the associated reactive intermediates, or through the generation of reactive oxygen species. An increasing amount of evidence has linked the exposure of environmental agents to the epigenetic modifications, including changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight current research activities that are aiming to provide a better understanding of the impact of environmental toxicants on genetic and epigenetic stability. We invite submissions of experimental papers, up-to-date review articles, and commentaries that address any aspect of this topic. This includes research on the effect of different environmental classes (e.g., metals, persistent organic pollutants and volatile organic compounds, etc.) on genetic and/or epigenetic alterations. Articles addressing this problem at any biological level, from molecular mechanism studies to epidemiology, are welcome. In particular, the Special Issue editors encourage submissions that involve the use of combined measures of genetic and epigenetic alterations induced by environmental toxicants and/or their potential interplays in human health.

Prof. Dr. Mu-Rong Chao
Prof. Dr. Marcus S. Cooke
Prof. Dr. Chiung-Wen Hu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environmental/occupational exposure
  • genetic alteration
  • epigenetic alteration
  • DNA/RNA damage
  • nucleic acid modifications
  • DNA methylation
  • histone post-translational modification
  • non-coding RNAs
  • genotoxicity
  • epigenotoxicity

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 7433 KiB  
Article
An In Vivo Whole-Transcriptomic Approach to Assess Developmental and Reproductive Impairments Caused by Flumequine in Daphnia magna
by Edoardo Pietropoli, Marianna Pauletto, Roberta Tolosi, Silvia Iori, Rosa Maria Lopparelli, Ludovica Montanucci, Mery Giantin, Mauro Dacasto and Marco De Liguoro
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9396; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24119396 - 28 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1229
Abstract
Among veterinary antibiotics, flumequine (FLU) is still widely used in aquaculture due to its efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Although it was synthesized more than 50 years ago, a complete toxicological framework of possible side effects on non-target species is still far from being achieved. [...] Read more.
Among veterinary antibiotics, flumequine (FLU) is still widely used in aquaculture due to its efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Although it was synthesized more than 50 years ago, a complete toxicological framework of possible side effects on non-target species is still far from being achieved. The aim of this research was to investigate the FLU molecular mechanisms in Daphnia magna, a planktonic crustacean recognized as a model species for ecotoxicological studies. Two different FLU concentrations (2.0 mg L−1 and 0.2 mg L−1) were assayed in general accordance with OECD Guideline 211, with some proper adaptations. Exposure to FLU (2.0 mg L−1) caused alteration of phenotypic traits, with a significant reduction in survival rate, body growth, and reproduction. The lower concentration (0.2 mg L−1) did not affect phenotypic traits but modulated gene expression, an effect which was even more evident under the higher exposure level. Indeed, in daphnids exposed to 2.0 mg L−1 FLU, several genes related with growth, development, structural components, and antioxidant response were significantly modulated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work showing the impact of FLU on the transcriptome of D. magna. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Toxicants on Genetic and Epigenetic Stability)
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11 pages, 2397 KiB  
Article
Mechanisms of Cd-Induced Cytotoxicity in Normal Human Skin Keratinocytes: Implication for Human Health
by Jing-Ya Li, Dao-Lei Cui, Yu-Mei Xie, Jin-Zhou Su, Meng-Yan Zhang, You-Ya Niu and Ping Xiang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11767; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms231911767 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1458
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the toxic heavy metals found widely in the environment. Skin is an important target organ of Cd exposure. However, the adverse effects of Cd on human skin are still not well known. In this study, normal human skin [...] Read more.
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the toxic heavy metals found widely in the environment. Skin is an important target organ of Cd exposure. However, the adverse effects of Cd on human skin are still not well known. In this study, normal human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) were studied for changes in cell viability, morphology, DNA damage, cycle, apoptosis, and the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related genes (XBP-1, BiP, ATF-4, and CHOP) after exposure to Cd for 24 h. We found that Cd decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, with a median lethal concentration (LC50) of 11 µM. DNA damage induction was evidenced by upregulation of the level of γ-H2AX. Furthermore, Cd induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and upregulated the mRNA levels of ER stress biomarker genes (XBP-1, BiP, ATF4, and CHOP). Taken together, our results showed that Cd induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in HaCaT cells, eventually resulting in cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis. In addition, ER stress may be involved in Cd-induced HaCaT apoptosis. Our data imply the importance of reducing Cd pollution in the environment to reduce its adverse impacts on human skin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Toxicants on Genetic and Epigenetic Stability)
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22 pages, 2807 KiB  
Article
Cyto-Genotoxicity of Tritiated Stainless Steel and Cement Particles in Human Lung Cell Models
by Yordenca Lamartiniere, Danielle Slomberg, Michaël Payet, Virginie Tassistro, Alice Mentana, Giorgio Baiocco, Jerome Rose, Laurence Lebaron-Jacobs, Christian Grisolia, Véronique Malard and Thierry Orsière
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(18), 10398; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms231810398 - 08 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1909
Abstract
During the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, the tritiated materials must be removed. These operations generate tritiated steel and cement particles that could be accidentally inhaled by workers. Thus, the consequences of human exposure by inhalation to these particles in terms of radiotoxicology were [...] Read more.
During the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, the tritiated materials must be removed. These operations generate tritiated steel and cement particles that could be accidentally inhaled by workers. Thus, the consequences of human exposure by inhalation to these particles in terms of radiotoxicology were investigated. Their cyto-genotoxicity was studied using two human lung models: the BEAS-2B cell line and the 3D MucilAirTM model. Exposures of the BEAS-2B cell line to particles (2 and 24 h) did not induce significant cytotoxicity. Nevertheless, DNA damage occurred upon exposure to tritiated and non-tritiated particles, as observed by alkaline comet assay. Tritiated particles only induced cytostasis; however, both induced a significant increase in centromere negative micronuclei. Particles were also assessed for their effects on epithelial integrity and metabolic activity using the MucilAirTM model in a 14-day kinetic mode. No effect was noted. Tritium transfer through the epithelium was observed without intracellular accumulation. Overall, tritiated and non-tritiated stainless steel and cement particles were associated with moderate toxicity. However, these particles induce DNA lesions and chromosome breakage to which tritium seems to contribute. These data should help in a better management of the risk related to the inhalation of these types of particles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Toxicants on Genetic and Epigenetic Stability)
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17 pages, 369 KiB  
Article
Associating Air Pollution with Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus Assay Parameters in Lymphocytes of the General Population in Zagreb (Croatia)
by Goran Gajski, Marko Gerić, Gordana Pehnec, Katarina Matković, Jasmina Rinkovec, Ivana Jakovljević, Ranka Godec, Silva Žužul, Ivan Bešlić, Ante Cvitković, Pascal Wild, Irina Guseva Canu and Nancy B. Hopf
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 10083; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms231710083 - 03 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1650
Abstract
Air pollution is recognized as one of the most serious public health issues worldwide and was declared to be a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths. At the same time, the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay serves as a cancer predictive method that is [...] Read more.
Air pollution is recognized as one of the most serious public health issues worldwide and was declared to be a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths. At the same time, the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay serves as a cancer predictive method that is extensively used in human biomonitoring for populations exposed to environmental contamination. The objective of this cross-sectional study is two-fold: to evaluate genomic instability in a sample (N = 130) of healthy, general population residents from Zagreb (Croatia), chronically exposed to different levels of air pollution, and to relate them to air pollution levels in the period from 2011 to 2015. Measured frequencies of CBMN assay parameters were in agreement with the baseline data for the general population of Croatia. Air pollution exposure was based on four factors obtained from a factor analysis of all exposure data obtained for the examined period. Based on the statistical results, we did not observe a significant positive association between any of the CBMN assay parameters tested and measured air pollution parameters for designated time windows, except for benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) that showed significant negative association. Our results show that measured air pollution parameters are largely below the regulatory limits, except for B[a]P, and as such, they do not affect CBMN assay parameters’ frequency. Nevertheless, as air pollution is identified as a major health threat, it is necessary to conduct prospective studies investigating the effect of air pollution on genome integrity and human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Toxicants on Genetic and Epigenetic Stability)
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