Lipidomic alteration and stress-defense mechanism of soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in response to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure.

Abstract

To assess the impacts of man-made extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) on soil ecosystems, the soil nematode was applied as a biological indicator to characterize ecotoxicity of ELF-EMF. In this paper, a soil-living model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was exposed to 50 Hz, 3 mT ELF-EMF. The integrated lipidome, proteome and transcriptome analysis were applied to elucidate physiological acclimations. Lipidomic analysis showed that ELF-EMF exposure induced significant alterations of 64 lipids, including significant elevation of triacylglycerols (TGs). Proteome results implied 157 changed protein expressions under ELF-EMF exposure. By transcriptomic analysis, 456 differently expressed genes were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) function and pathway analyses showed lipidomic alteration, mitochondrial dysfunction and the stress defense responses following ELF-EMF exposure in C. elegans. Conjoint analysis of proteome and transcriptome data showed that a higher expression of genes (sip-1, mtl-1 and rpl-11.1, etc.) were involved in stress defense responses to ELF-EMF exposure. These results indicated that ELF-EMF can induce effects on soil nematodes, mainly through disturbing lipid metabolism such as increasing TGs content, and eliciting stress defense responses. This study provided a new understanding in ELF-EMF exposure effects on soil nematodes and suggested a potential way of interpreting ELF-EMF influences on soil ecosystems.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

C. elegans exposed to 50 Hz, 3 mT ELF-EMF showed significant lipidomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic changes, including elevated triacylglycerols and altered expression of proteins and genes. GO/pathway analyses indicated lipid metabolism alteration, mitochondrial dysfunction, and activation of stress defense responses following ELF-EMF exposure.

Outcomes measured

• Lipidomic alterations (64 lipids; triacylglycerols elevated)
• Proteomic changes (157 proteins)
• Transcriptomic changes (456 differentially expressed genes)
• Gene Ontology/pathway signals: lipid metabolism alteration, mitochondrial dysfunction, stress defense responses
• Expression of stress defense-related genes (e.g., sip-1, mtl-1, rpl-11.1)

Limitations

• Exposure duration not reported in abstract
• Sample size not reported in abstract
• Endpoints are largely omics-based; organism-level functional/ecological outcomes not described in abstract

Suggested hubs

• occupational-exposure (0.2)
  Study involves man-made ELF-EMF exposure (50 Hz), though not explicitly occupational.

{
    "study_type": "animal",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "ELF",
        "source": "other",
        "frequency_mhz": 0.05000000000000000277555756156289135105907917022705078125,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": null
    },
    "population": "Soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Lipidomic alterations (64 lipids; triacylglycerols elevated)",
        "Proteomic changes (157 proteins)",
        "Transcriptomic changes (456 differentially expressed genes)",
        "Gene Ontology/pathway signals: lipid metabolism alteration, mitochondrial dysfunction, stress defense responses",
        "Expression of stress defense-related genes (e.g., sip-1, mtl-1, rpl-11.1)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "C. elegans exposed to 50 Hz, 3 mT ELF-EMF showed significant lipidomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic changes, including elevated triacylglycerols and altered expression of proteins and genes. GO/pathway analyses indicated lipid metabolism alteration, mitochondrial dysfunction, and activation of stress defense responses following ELF-EMF exposure.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Exposure duration not reported in abstract",
        "Sample size not reported in abstract",
        "Endpoints are largely omics-based; organism-level functional/ecological outcomes not described in abstract"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7800000000000000266453525910037569701671600341796875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "ELF-EMF",
        "50 Hz",
        "3 mT",
        "Caenorhabditis elegans",
        "soil ecosystem",
        "ecotoxicity",
        "lipidomics",
        "proteomics",
        "transcriptomics",
        "triacylglycerols",
        "mitochondrial dysfunction",
        "stress defense response"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "occupational-exposure",
            "weight": 0.200000000000000011102230246251565404236316680908203125,
            "reason": "Study involves man-made ELF-EMF exposure (50 Hz), though not explicitly occupational."
        }
    ]
}

Comments

Log in to comment.

No comments yet.