Responses of multifunctional immune complement component 1q (C1q) and apoptosis-related genes in Macrophthalmus japonicus tissues and human cells following exposure to environmental pollutants

• Published in: Cell stress & chaperones Vol. 28; no. 6; pp. 959 - 968
• Main Authors: Park, Kiyun, Moon, Byoung-San, Kwak, Ihn-Sil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Science + Business Media 01.11.2023; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - genetics; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brachyura - genetics; Brachyura - metabolism; Cancer Research; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Caspase-3; Cell Biology; Cell lines; Chromosome 1; Complement C1q - genetics; Complement C1q - metabolism; Complement C1q - pharmacology; Complement component C1q; Crustaceans; Diethylhexyl Phthalate - pharmacology; Dioctyl phthalate; Environmental effects; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Enzymatic activity; Exposure; Gene expression; Genes; Gills; HEK293 Cells; Hepatopancreas; Homeostasis; Humans; Immune system; Immunology; Macrophthalmus japonicus; Neurosciences; Original; ORIGINAL ARTICLE; Pollutants; Tissues; Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; HEK293T; HCT116; Immune-related apoptosis; Hexabromocyclododecane; Intertidal mud crab
• ISSN: 1355-8145; 1466-1268
• DOI: 10.1007/s12192-023-01389-y

Apoptosis is a key defense process for multiple immune system functions, playing a central role in maintaining homeostasis and cell development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmental pollutant exposure on immune-related apoptotic pathways in crab tissues and human cells. To do this, we characterized the multifunctional immune complement component 1q (C1q) gene and analyzed C1q expression in Macrophthalmus japonicus crabs after exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) or hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs). Moreover, the responses of apoptotic signal-related genes were observed in M. japonicus tissues and human cell lines (HEK293T and HCT116). C1q gene expression was downregulated in the gills and hepatopancreas of M. japonicus after exposure to DEHP or HBCD. Pollutant exposure also increased antioxidant enzyme activities and altered transcription of 15 apoptotic signaling genes in M. japonicus. However, patterns in apoptotic signaling in response to these pollutants differed in human cells. HBCD exposure generated an apoptotic signal (cleaved caspase-3) and inhibited cell growth in both cell lines, whereas DEHP exposure did not produce such a response. These results suggest that exposure to environmental pollutants induced different levels of immune-related apoptosis depending on the cell or tissue type and that this induction of apoptotic signaling may trigger an initiation of carcinogenesis in M. japonicus and in humans as consumers.