Amino-nanopolystyrene exposures of oyster (Crassostrea gigas) embryos induced no apparent intergenerational effects

Abstract

Early life stages (ELS) of numerous marine invertebrates mustcope with man-made contaminants, including plastic debris, during their pelagic phase. Among the diversity of plastic particles, nano-sized debris, known as nanoplastics, can induce effects with severe outcomes in ELS of various biological models, including the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Here, we investigated the effects of a sub-lethal dose (0.1 µg mL⁻¹) of 50 nm polystyrene nanobeads (nano-PS) with amine functions on oyster embryos (24 h exposure) and we assessed consequences on larval and adult performances over two generations of oysters. Only a few effects were observed. Lipid analyses revealed that first-generation (G1) embryos exposed to nano-PS displayed a relative increase in cardiolipin content (+9.7%), suggesting a potential modification of mitochondrial functioning. G1-larvae issued from exposed embryos showed decreases in larval growth (−9%) and lipid storage (−20%). No effect was observed at the G1 adult stage in terms of growth, ecophysiological parameters (clearance and respiration rates, absorption efficiency), or reproductive outputs (gonadic development, gamete quality). Second generation (G2) larvae issued from control G1 displayed a significant growth reduction after G2 embryonic exposure to nano-PS (−24%) compared to control (as observed at the first generation), while no intergenerational effect was detected on G2 larvae issued from G1 exposed embryos. Overall, the present experimental study suggests a low incidence of a short embryonic exposure to nano-PS on oyster phenotypes along the entire life cycle until the next larval generation.

Keywords:

• Oyster
• nanoplastics
• embryonic exposure
• larval performances
• offspring

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the staff of the Ifremer experimental station at Argenton and nursery at Bouin for their help. We thank the PIMM Platform (UBO) for the help in electron microscopy. The authors also thank H. McCombie for her help in editing the English.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. K. Tallec has a French doctoral grant from the Region Bretagne (50%) and Ifremer (50%).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) – Nanoplastics project (ANR-15-CE34-0006).