EV-COMM: A database of interspecies and intercellular interactions mediated by extracellular vesicles.

Intra- and inter-organismal interactions play a crucial role in the maintenance and function of individuals, as well as communities. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as effective mediators for the communication both within and between species. They can carry and transport molecular cargoes to transmit biological messages. Several databases (ExoBCD, ExoCarta, EVpedia, EV-TRACK, Vesiclepedia) complied the cargoes information including DNA, RNA, protein, lipid and metabolite associated with EVs. Databases that refer to the complete records on both donor and recipient information are warranted to facilitate the understanding of the interaction across cells and species. In this study, we developed a database that compiled the records equipped with a structured process of EV-mediated interaction. The sources of donor and recipient were classified by cell type, tissues/organs and species, thus providing an extended knowledge of cell-cell, species-species interaction. The isolation and identification methods were presented for assessing the quality of EVs. Information on functional cargoes was included, where microRNA was linked to a prediction server to broaden its potential effects. Physiological and pathological context was marked to show the environment where EVs functioned. At present, a total of 1481 data records in our database, including 971 cell-cell interactions belonging to more than 40 different tissues/organs, and 510 cross-species records. The database provides a web interface to browse, search, visualize and download the interaction records. Users can search for interactions by selecting the context of interest or specific cells/species types, as well as functional cargoes. To the best of our knowledge, the database is the first comprehensive database focusing on interactions between donor and recipient cells or species mediated by EVs, serving as a convenient tool to explore and validate interactions. The Database, shorten as EV-COMM (EV mediated communication) is freely available at http://sdc.iue.ac.cn/evs/list/ and will be continuously updated.

Altered metabolome and microbiome associated with compromised intestinal barrier induced hepatic lipid metabolic disorder in mice after subacute and subchronic ozone exposure.

Exposure to ozone has been associated with metabolic disorders in humans, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the role of the gut-liver axis and the potential mechanism behind the metabolic disorder were investigated by histological examination, microbiome and metabolome approaches in mice during the subacute (4-week) and subchronic (12-week) exposure to 0.5 ppm and 2.5 ppm ozone. Ozone exposure resulted in slowed weight gain and reduced hepatic lipid contents in a dose-dependent manner. After exposure to ozone, the number of intestinal goblet cells decreased, while the number of tuft cells increased. Tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) was significantly downregulated, and the apoptosis of epithelial cells increased with compensatory proliferation, indicating a compromised chemical and physical layer of the intestinal barrier. The hepatic and cecal metabolic profiles were altered, primarily related to lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. The abundance of Muribaculaceae increased dose-dependently in both colon and cecum, and was associated with the decrease of metabolites such as bile acids, betaine, and L-carnitine, which subsequently disrupted the intestinal barrier and lipid metabolism. Overall, this study found that subacute and subchronic exposure to ozone induced metabolic disorder via disturbing the gut-liver axis, especially the intestinal barrier. These findings provide new mechanistic understanding of the health risks associated with environmental ozone exposure and other oxidative stressors.

A database on the abundance of environmental antibiotic resistance genes.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a severe threat to global health. The wide distribution of environmental antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be transferred between microbiota, especially clinical pathogens and human commensals, contributed significantly to AMR. However, few databases on the spatiotemporal distribution, abundance, and health risk of ARGs from multiple environments have been developed, especially on the absolute level. In this study, we compiled the ARG occurrence data generated by a high-throughput quantitative PCR platform from 1,403 samples in 653 sampling sites across 18 provinces in China. The database possessed 291,870 records from five types of habitats on the abundance of 290 ARGs, as well as 8,057 records on the abundance of 30 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) from 2013 to 2020. These ARGs conferred resistance to major common types of antibiotics (a total of 15 types) and represented five major resistance mechanisms, as well as four risk ranks. The database can provide information for studies on the dynamics of ARGs and is useful for the health risk assessment of AMR.

Temporal dynamics of microbial composition and antibiotic resistome in fermentation bed culture pig farms across various ages.

The discharge from pig farms presents significant challenges to the environment and human health, specifically regarding the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Fermentation bed culture has emerged as an increasingly popular and environmentally friendly pig farming model in China, as it minimizes the release of harmful substances into the environment. However, there remains a limited understanding of the occurrence and dynamics of microbiome and antibiotic resistome in fermentation bed culture. Herein, we collected fermentation bed materials (FBM) from four fermentation bed culture pig farms with varying service ages and investigated their bacterial communities, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), metal resistance genes (MRGs) and potential antibiotic-resistant bacterial hosts through metagenomics. Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Bacillota were identified as the dominant phyla present in the FBM. In total, we detected 258 unique ARGs in the FBM samples, with 79 core ARGs shared by all FBM samples, accounting for 95 % of the total ARG abundance. Our results revealed significant variations in microbial communities and ARG profiles across varying service ages of FBM. Compared to long-term FBW, short-term FBM exhibited higher numbers and abundances of ARGs, MRGs and MGEs, along with higher levels of potential bacterial pathogens and high-risk ARGs. Further analysis of metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) indicated that the putative hosts of ARGs primarily belonged to Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota and Bacillota. Alarmingly, among the 80 recovered ARG-carrying MAGs, 23 MAGs encoded multi-resistance, including clinically significant species that require urgent attention. Overall, this study provided valuable insights into the temporal patterns of antibiotic resistome and bacterial communities within FBM, enhancing our understanding of FBM in pig farming. The findings could potentially contribute to the development of effective strategies for evaluating and regulating fermentation bed culture practices in pig farming.

Impact of Airborne Pathogen-Derived Extracellular Vesicles on Macrophages Revealed by Raman Spectroscopy and Multiomics.

Long-term exposure to the indoor environment may pose threats to human health due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria and their byproducts. Nanoscale extracellular vesicles (EVs) extensively secreted from pathogenic bacteria can traverse biological barriers and affect physio-pathological processes. However, the potential health impact of EVs from indoor dust and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, Raman spectroscopy combined with multiomics (genomics and proteomics) was used to address these issues. Genomic analysis revealed that Pseudomonas was an efficient producer of EVs that harbored 68 types of virulence factor-encoding genes. Upon exposing macrophages to environmentally relevant doses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1-derived EVs, macrophage internalization was observed, and release of inflammatory factors was determined by RT-PCR. Subsequent Raman spectroscopy and unsupervised surprisal analysis of EV-affected macrophages distinguished metabolic alterations, particularly in proteins and lipids. Proteomic analysis further revealed differential expression of proteins in inflammatory and metabolism-related pathways, indicating that EV exposure induced macrophage metabolic reprogramming and inflammation. Collectively, our findings revealed that pathogen-derived EVs in the indoor environments can act as a new mediator for pathogens to exert adverse health effects. Our method of Raman integrated with multiomics offers a complementary approach for rapid and in-depth understanding of EVs' impact.

Gut microbiota related response of Oryzias melastigma to combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and tetracycline.

The co-existence of microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics in the coastal environment poses a combined ecological risk. Single toxic effects of MPs or antibiotics on aquatic organisms have been verified, however, the exploration of their combined toxic effects remains limited. Here, foodborne polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, 10 µm, 0.1 % w/w in food) and waterborne tetracyclines (TC, 50 µg/L) were used to expose an estuarine fish Oryzias melastigma for four weeks. We found that the aqueous availability of TC was not significantly altered coexisting with MPs. The fish body weight gain was significantly slower in TC alone or combined groups than the control group, consistent with the lower lipid content in livers. The body length gain was significantly inhibited by the combined presence compared to the single exposure. Both exposures led to a shift of gut microbiota composition and diversity. TC and the combined group possessed similar gut microbiota which is distinct from PS-MPs and the control group. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio in the TC and combined groups were significantly lower compared to the control, while the PS-MPs group showed no significant impact. Metabolomic analysis of the fish liver confirmed the shift of metabolites in specific pathways after different exposures. More, a number of gut microbiota-related metabolites on lipid metabolism was perturbed, which were annotated in arachidonic acid metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism. In all, TC modulates bacterial composition in the fish gut and disturbs their liver metabolites via the gut-liver axis, which led to the slower growth of O. melastigma. More, the adverse impact was aggravated by the co-exposure to foodborne PS-MPs.

Antibiotic resistome and associated bacterial communities in agricultural soil following the amendments of swine manure-derived fermentation bed waste.

The practice of utilizing animal manures on land is widespread in agriculture, but it has raised concerns about the possible spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and the potential risk it poses to public health through food production. Fermentation bed culture is an effective circular agricultural practice commonly utilized in pig farming that minimizes the environmental impact of livestock farming. However, this method generates a significant amount of fermentation bed waste (FBW), which can be turned into organic fertilizer for land application. The objective of this research was to examine the impacts of amending agricultural soil samples with swine manure-derived FBW on microbial communities, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and ARG profiles over different periods. The study findings indicated that the amendment of swine manure-derived FBW significantly increased the diversity and abundance of ARGs and MGEs during the early stages of amendment, but this effect diminished over time, and after 12 months of FBW amendments, the levels returned to those comparable to control samples. The shift in the bacterial communities played a significant role in shaping the patterns of ARGs. Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were identified as the primary potential hosts of ARGs through metagenomic binning analysis. Furthermore, the pH of soil samples was identified as the most important property in driving the composition of the bacterial community and soil resistome. These findings provided valuable insights into the temporal patterns and dissemination risks of ARGs in FBW-amended agriculture soil, which could contribute to the development of effective strategies to manage the dissemination risks of FBW-derived ARGs.

Network analysis reveals significant joint effects of microplastics and tetracycline on the gut than the gill microbiome of marine medaka.

Microplastics could accumulate and enrich antibiotics in the aquatic environment. Despite this, the joint effects of microplastics and antibiotics on aquatic organisms are not clear. Here, we investigated the changes of microbial interactions in both gill and gut of marine medaka exposed to polystyrene microbeads (PS) and/or tetracycline for 30 days by using co-occurrence network analysis based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences. We found that the single and combined effects of PS and tetracycline were more profound on the gut than on the gill microbiome. SourceTracker analysis showed that the relative contributions from the gill microbiome to the gut microbiome increased under combined exposure. Moreover, the combined exposure reduced the complexity and stability of the gut microbial network more than those induced by any single exposure, suggesting the synergistic effects of PS and tetracycline on the gut microbiome. The PS and tetracycline combined exposure also caused a shift in the keystone taxa of the gut microbial network. However, no similar pattern was found for gill microbial networks. Furthermore, single and combined exposure to PS and/or tetracycline altered the associations between the gut network taxa and indicator liver metabolites. Altogether, these findings enhanced our understanding of the hazards of the co-occurring environmental microplastics and antibiotics to the fish commensal microbiome.

Diverse functional genes harboured in extracellular vesicles from environmental and human microbiota.

Exchange of mobile functional genes within microbiota benefits the microbial community. However, the status of the mobile gene pool in environment is still largely unclear, impeding the understanding on the process of gene transfer in natural microbial communities. The release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by diverse organisms has been proposed to be a vital way in the complex networks of interactions between microbes and their habitats. In this study, we hypothesized that microbial EVs encapsulating functional DNA are widely distributed in the environmental matrix. The prevalence, source and DNA cargoes of EVs in three types of typical microbial habitats were studied. High abundance of EVs comparable to the bacterial concentration was found in human faeces, wastewater and soil. Metagenomic analysis showed the diverse and differential taxonomy of EVs-associated DNA compared to source microbiome. An array of efficient EVs producing species was identified. A wide variety of mobile genes including glycoside hydrolase family 25 were enriched. Antibiotic resistance genes co-localizing with mobile genetic elements were abundant in the EVs. This study provides novel insights into the prevalent EVs as a reservoir for the mobile functional genes in the natural environment.

A multifunctional nanoparticle for efferocytosis and pro-resolving-mediated endometriosis therapy.

Endometriosis is an inflammation-dependent disorder characterized by the abnormal growth of endometrium-like lesions. In recent years, there is a great deal of interest in the development of anti-inflammatory therapy. Herein, an acid-sensitive calcium carbonate nanoparticle (CaNP) incorporated BML-111 (BML@CaNP) was prepared. BML@CaNP acted as a Ca2+ nanomodulator for efferocytosis (macrophages engulf apoptotic cells). Specifically, BML@CaNP induced the apoptosis of endometriotic stromal cells and enhanced the efferocytosis of macrophages. In addition, the particle can also deliver BML to the ectopic lesion for resolving the inflammatory response. In vivo BML@CaNP effectively suppressed lesion growth in endometriosis mice model, which could be attributed to the enhancing efferocytosis of cells and the lower levels of inflammatory factors in peritoneal fluid. In addition, these nanoparticles did not show side effects. In all, we provide a new anti-inflammatory strategy by both enhancing efferocytosis and resolving inflammation for the treatment of endometriosis.

Watershed urbanization enhances the enrichment of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics in the water environment.

Microplastics (MPs) serve as vectors for microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and contribute to the spread of pathogenic bacteria and ARGs across various environments. Patterns of microbial communities and ARGs in the biofilm on the surface of MPs, also termed as plastisphere, have become an issue of global concern. Although antibiotic resistome in the plastisphere has been detected, how watershed urbanization affects patterns of potential pathogens and ARGs in the microplastic biofilms is still unclear. Here, we compared the bacterial communities, the interaction between bacterial taxa, pathogenic bacteria, and ARGs between the plastisphere and their surrounding water, and revealed the extensive influence of urbanization on them. Our results showed that bacterial communities and interactions in the plastisphere differed from those in their surrounding water. Microplastics selectively enriched Bacteroidetes from water. In non-urbanized area, the abundance of Oxyphotobacteria was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in plastisphere than that in water, while α-Proteobacteria was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in plastisphere than those in water of urbanized area. Pathogenic bacteria, ARGs, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the urbanized area than those in non-urbanized area. MPs selectively enriched ARG-carrying potential pathogens, i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae, and exhibited a distinct effect on the relative abundance of ARG and pathogens in water with different urbanization levels. We further found ARGs were significantly correlated to MGEs and pathogenic bacteria. These results suggested that MPs would promote the dissemination of ARGs among microbes including pathogenic bacteria, and urbanization would affect the impact of MPs on microbes, pathogens, and ARGs in water. A high level of urbanization could enhance the enrichment of pathogens and ARGs by MPs in aquatic systems and increase microbial risk in aquatic environments. Our findings highlighted the necessity of controlling the spread of ARGs among pathogens and the usage of plastic products in ecosystems of urban areas.

Deep Learning-Enabled Raman Spectroscopic Identification of Pathogen-Derived Extracellular Vesicles and the Biogenesis Process.

Pathogenic bacterial infections, exacerbated by increasing antimicrobial resistance, pose a major threat to human health worldwide. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), secreted by bacteria and acting as their "long-distance weapons", play an important role in the occurrence and development of infectious diseases. However, no efficient methods to rapidly detect and identify EVs of different bacterial origins are available. Here, label-free Raman spectroscopy in combination with a new deep learning model of the attentional neural network (aNN) was developed to identify pathogen-derived EVs at Gram±, species, strain, and even down to physiological levels. By training the aNN model with a large Raman data set from six typical pathogen-derived EVs, we achieved the identification of EVs with high accuracies at all levels: exceeding 96% at the Gram and species levels, 93% at the antibiotic-resistant and sensitive strain levels, and still above 87% at the physiological level. aNN enabled Raman spectroscopy to interrogate the bacterial origin of EVs to a much higher level than previous methods. Moreover, spectral markers underpinning EV discrimination were uncovered from subtly different EV spectra via an interpretation algorithm of the integrated gradient. A further comparative analysis of the rich Raman biochemical signatures of EVs and parental pathogens clearly revealed the biogenesis process of EVs, including the selective encapsulation of biocomponents and distinct membrane compositions from the original bacteria. This developed platform provides an accurate and versatile means to identify pathogen-derived EVs, spectral markers, and the biogenesis process. It will promote rapid diagnosis and allow the timely treatment of bacterial infections.

Optimization and application of a method to determine 24 perfluorinated compounds in umbilical cord serum by using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are a group of widely used synthetic chemicals. Owing to their unique chemical properties, PFCs can accumulate in the environment and living organisms. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of exposure to PFCs, resulting in increased concern. Therefore, a fast, reliable analytical method is crucial for human biomonitoring and health risk assessment. This study used two isotope internal standards to identify and quantify 24 PFCs in umbilical cord serum samples, based on classical liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). According to our review of the literature, this study is the first to determine the TFHSA, S4hPDS, S4hPOS, S4hPHS, SPHeS, SPNoS, and SPPeS by using this developed method. The average spiked recoveries of 24 PFCs were acceptable, ranging from approximately 64.0% to 124%; RSDs ranged from 0.74% to 11.2%; LOD and LOQ ranged from 0.013 to 0.248 µg/L and from 0.030 to 0.747 µg/L, respectively. This method was applied to measure the PFCs in umbilical cord serum samples; 24 PFCs were detected in the investigated samples, which are comparable to those reported in the literature. TFHSA, S4hPDS, S4hPOS, S4hPHS, SPHeS, SPNoS, and SPPeS were also detected in the samples, which should be investigated in further research. The sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the developed method are sufficient for its application in large-scale biomonitoring studies.

Differential aggregation of polystyrene and titanium dioxide nanoparticles under various salinity conditions and against multiple proteins types.

The interaction of nanoplastics (NPls) and engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) with organic matter and environmental pollutants is particularly important. Therefore, their behavior should be investigated under the different salinity conditions, mimicking rivers and coastal environments, to understand this phenomenon in those areas. In this work, we analyzed the elementary characteristics of polystyrene-PS (unmodified surface and modified with amino or carboxyl groups) and titanium dioxide-TiO2 nanoparticles. The effect of salinity on their colloidal properties was studied too. Also, the interaction with different types of proteins (bovine serum albumin-BSA and tilapia proteins), as well as the formation of the BSA corona and its effect on the colloidal stability of nanoparticles, were evaluated. The morphology and dispersion of sizes were more uniform in unmodified-surface PS-NPs (70.5 ± 13.7 nm) than in TiO2-NPs (131.2 ± 125.6 nm). Likewise, Rama spectroscopy allowed recognizing peaks associated with the PS phenyl group aromatic ring in unmodified-surface PS-NPs (621, 1002, 1582, and 1602 cm-1). For TiO2-NPs, the data suggest belonging to the tetragonal form, also known as rutile (445, 610 cm-1). The elevation of salinity dose-dependently decreased NP colloid stability, with more significant variation in the PS-NPs compared to TiO2-NPs. The organic matter is also involved in this phenomenon, differentially as a function of time compared to its absence (unmodified-surface PS-NPs 30 psu/TOC 5 mgL-1/24 h: 2876.6 ± 378.03 nm; unmodified-surface PS-NPs 30 psu/24 h: 2133 ± 49.57 nm). In general, the TiO2-NPs demonstrated greater affinity with all proteins tested (0.066 g/L). It was observed that morphology, size, and surface chemical modification intervene in a relevant way in the interaction of the nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin (unmodified-surface PS-NPs 298 K: 6.08E+02; 310 K: 6.63E+02; TiO2-NPs 298 K: 8.76E+02; 310 K: 1.05E+03 L mol-1) and tilapia tissues proteins (from blood, gills, liver, and brain). Their morphology and size also determined the protein corona formation and the NPs' agglomeration. These findings can provide references during knowledge transfer between NPls and ENPs.

Combined effects of micro-/nano-plastics and oxytetracycline on the intestinal histopathology and microbiome in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that microplastics and oxytetracycline (OTC) affect organisms, but few studies have investigated their combined effects on aquatic organisms. In this study, adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to single and binary-combined contamination of micro-, nano-sized polystyrene plastics and OTC for 30 days, and the intestinal histopathology, gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of zebrafish were measured. The results showed that the intestinal epithelial damage increase with the decrease of plastic sizes. Nano-sized plastics, OTC and their combined exposure caused intestinal epithelial damage, and co-exposure with micro-sized plastics reduced the intestinal damage caused by single OTC exposure. The gut microbial communities were affected by the combined exposure to microplastics and OTC. Compared with the blank control, the relative abundance of Fusobacteria increased 12.7 % and 21.1 % in OTC combined with 45-85 µm micro-plastics (MOTC) and 40-54 nm nano-plastics (NOTC), respectively, and that of Bacteroidetes increased 26.2 % and 18.6 % in the MOTC and NOTC treatments, respectively. The effects of MOTC and NOTC on the biodiversity of the zebrafish gut microbiome were different; MOTC increased the biodiversity by 11.3 % compared with the blank control, whereas NOTC decreased the biodiversity by 8.8 % compared with the blank control. Furthermore, the abundance of ARGs in 40-54 nm nano-plastics, MOTC and NOTC treatments was increased 96.9 %, 96.6 % and 68.8 % compared with the control group, respectively. Additionally, significant differences were observed in ARGs characteristics between the micro- and nano-plastics treated groups whether combined with OTC or not. These results are essential to further understand the combined ecotoxicological effects of micro- or nano-plastics and antibiotics on aquatic organisms.

Printer center nanoparticles alter the DNA repair capacity of human bronchial airway epithelial cells.

Nano-enabled, toner-based printing equipment emit nanoparticles during operation. The bioactivity of these nanoparticles as documented in a plethora of published toxicological studies raises concerns about their potential health effects. These include pro-inflammatory effects that can lead to adverse epigenetic alterations and cardiovascular disorders in rats. At the same time, their potential to alter DNA repair pathways at realistic doses remains unclear. In this study, size-fractionated, airborne particles from a printer center in Singapore were sampled and characterized. The PM0.1 size fraction (particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 100 nm) of printer center particles (PCP) were then administered to human lung adenocarcinoma (Calu-3) or lymphoblastoid (TK6) cells. We evaluated plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Moreover, we quantified DNA damage and alterations in the cells' capacity to repair 6 distinct types of DNA lesions. Results show that PCP altered the ability of Calu-3 cells to repair 8oxoG:C lesions and perform nucleotide excision repair, in the absence of acute cytotoxicity or DNA damage. Alterations in DNA repair capacity have been correlated with the risk of various diseases, including cancer, therefore further genotoxicity studies are needed to assess the potential risks of PCP exposure, at both occupational settings and at the end-consumer level.

Widespread of Potential Pathogen-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Carrying Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Indoor Dust.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are newly recognized as important vectors for carrying and spreading antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the ARGs harbored by EVs in ambient environments and the transfer potential are still unclear. In this study, the prevalence of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in EVs and their microbial origins were studied in indoor dust from restaurants, kindergarten, dormitories, and vehicles. The amount of EVs ranged from 3.40 × 107 to 1.09 × 1011 particles/g dust. The length of EV-associated DNA fragments was between 21 bp and 9.7 kb. Metagenomic sequencing showed that a total of 241 antibiotic ARG subtypes encoding resistance to 16 common classes were detected in the EVs from all four fields. Multidrug, quinolone, and macrolide resistance genes were the dominant types. 15 ARG subtypes were exclusively carried and even enriched in EVs compared to the indoor microbiome. Moreover, several ARGs showed co-occurrence with MGEs. The EVs showed distinct taxonomic composition with their original dust microbiota. 30.23% of EV-associated DNA was predicted to originate from potential pathogens. Our results indicated the widespread of EVs carrying ARGs and virulence genes in daily life indoor dust, provided new insights into the status of extracellular DNA, and raised risk concerns on their gene transfer potential.

Correlation between lung cancer markers and air pollutants in western China population.

The relationship between serum lung cancer markers and the air pollution remains unclear. To further reveal the correlation between air pollutants and lung cancer, a retrospective analysis of 446,032 asymptomatic healthy people and symptomatic healthy people from the Health Management Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from 2014 to 2019 was performed. The distribution characteristics of serum lung cancer markers, cancer embryo antigens (CEA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA211), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), and nerve-specific enolase (NSE) was analyzed in these population. Two independent sample man-Whitney U test was used to analyze the correlation of lung cancer markers and age, and a Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between lung cancer markers and gender. The daily change trend was profiled for six main air quality indicators PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, O3 during the same period. The correlation between lung markers and air pollutants was investigated by Spearman and multiple linear regression. The results showed that CYFRA211 had the highest excess rate in the screening population. There were differences in the number of cases with concentrated expression of lung cancer markers in the different age groups. Among them, the people with NSE exceeding the standard were the youngest, and most of them were 40-55 years old. Besides SCC, the expression levels of other markers increased with age, and the expression levels of the four markers in males were significantly higher than those in females. Although the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 exceeded the WHO standard (World Health Organization. 2011), they were not correlated with lung cancer markers. Multiple comparisons showed that the air pollutants SO2 and CYFRA211, as well as NO2 and NSE were closely related, but there was no significant linear relationship between CEA, SCC, and air pollutants. In conclusion, among the four lung cancer markers, CYFRA211 had the highest abnormal excess rate in total screening population, and the expression levels of these markers varied by gender and age, with males showing significantly higher expression levels than females, and they increased significantly with age except for SCC. The differential expression of these lung cancer markers may provide more strategies for lung cancer screening in the corresponding population. Lung cancer markers, CYFRA211 and NSE, can be used as sensitive biomarkers for exposure to certain air pollutants and provide references for the prevention and management of air pollution.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis identifies benzo[a]pyrene-induced characteristic metabolic reprogramming during accumulation of lipids and reactive oxygen species in macrophages.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Macrophage lipid accumulation is a characteristic molecular event in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. Metabolic reprogramming is an intervention target for diseases and toxic effects of environmental pollutants. However, comprehensive metabolic reprogramming related to BaP-induced macrophage lipid accumulation is currently unexplored. Therefore, metabolomics and transcriptomics were conducted to unveil relevant metabolic reprogramming in BaP-exposed macrophages, and to discover potential intervention targets. Metabolomics revealed that most amino acids, nucleotides, monosaccharides, and organic acids were significantly decreased, while most fatty acids and steroids accumulated in BaP-exposed macrophages. Transcriptomics showed that fatty acid synthesis and oxidation, and steroid synthesis and export were decreased, while import of fatty acids and steroids was increased, indicating potential roles of lipid transport in macrophage lipid accumulation following BaP exposure. Meanwhile, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, branched-chain amino acid degradation, nucleotide synthesis, monosaccharide import, pentose phosphate pathway, citrate synthesis, and glycolysis were decreased, while nucleotide degradation was increased, thus inducing decreases in most amino acids, nucleotides, monosaccharides, and organic acids in BaP-exposed macrophages. Additionally, increases in oxidative stress and the activation of antioxidant systems were observed in BaP-exposed macrophages, which was evinced by increases in reactive oxygen species, and the activation of Fenton reaction, Vdac2/3, Sod2, and Nrf2. Moreover, BaP-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipids in macrophages could be abolished by epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Quantitative PCR showed that BaP exposure activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling and promoted the proinflammatory phenotype in macrophages, and these effects were inhibited or even abolished by the separate treatment with epigallocatechin-3-gallate or CH-223191, suggesting the regulatory role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling in BaP-induced toxic effects. This study provides novel insights into the toxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on macrophage metabolism and potential intervention targets.

Dataset-based assessment of heavy metal contamination in freshwater fishes and their health risks.

The ecological risks and health hazards of heavy metals pollution in Taihu Lake have received widespread concern. This study has developed a species-pollution dataset which includes a large amount of data on heavy metal pollution in Taihu fish. The heavy metal contamination poses a significant threat to human consumption, but no studies have been conducted to assess the risk of exposure to consumption of these fish and to make recommendations for their consumption. In this study, we systematically integrated the relevant data in the dataset, analyzed its contamination level using PI (single pollution index) and MPI (metal pollution index) models, and assessed health hazards of fish consumption using THQ (target hazard quotient) and ILCR (incremental lifetime cancer risk) models. Results showed that the contamination levels of heavy metals in fish varied in a feeding habit and living habit dependent manner. The risk of non-cancer health is the highest from consuming omnivorous fish, then from carnivorous and herbivorous fish. The ILCR model predicted that the long-term Taihu consumption of omnivorous fish may pose a potential carcinogenic risk, especially for children. In all, our study provided a comprehensive understanding on the risk of heavy metals in Taihu. Accordingly, it is recommended that children should try to choose herbivorous fish when consuming fish from Taihu Lake while avoiding long-term consumption of omnivorous fish.