Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances enhance Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity and impair host immune response. (1st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mangu, Jagadish Chandra Kumar; Stylianou, Marios; Olsson, Per-Erik; Jass, Jana
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 314(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12-01
• Subjects: PFAS -- Immune suppression -- S. aureus -- Hemolysin -- Caenorhabditis elegans; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120294
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are major persistent environmental contaminants. Epidemiological studies have linked PFAS exposures to altered immunity and increased occurrence of infections in children. However, the mechanisms leading to immune susceptibility to bacterial infections remains unclear. To elucidate the mechanism, transcriptional alteration in the Caenorhabditis elegans model caused by a PFAS contaminated environmental water and two reconstituted PFAS solutions were evaluated using RNA-sequencing. PFAS affected the expression of several genes involved in C. elegans immune surveillance to Gram-positive bacteria ( cpr-2, tag-38, spp-1, spp-5, c lec-7, clec-172 ). The combined exposure to PFAS and Staphylococcus aureus significantly reduced C. elegans survival and increased intestinal membrane permeability. Furthermore, the growth of S. aureus in the presence of PFAS increased the expression of virulence genes, specifically, the virulence gene regulator saeR and α-hemolysin, hla, which resulted in increased hemolytic activity. The present study demonstrated that PFAS exposure not only increased C. elegans susceptibility to pathogens by reducing host immunity and increasing intestinal membrane permeability, but also increased bacteria virulence. This presents a broader implication for humans and other animals, where environmental contaminants simultaneously reduce host resilience, while, increasing microbial pathogenicity. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: PFAS affected C. elegans innate immune response gene expression. PFAS reduced C. elegans immune surveillance to Gram-positive bacteria. PFAS increased expression of hemolysin A and virulence gene regulator in S. aureus. PFAS increased S. aureus mediated intestinal permeability and death in C. elegans . PFAS exposed C. elegans were more susceptible to infection with S. aureus.