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Linking Subcellular Disturbance to Physiological Behavior and Toxicity Induced by Quantum Dots in Caenorhabditis elegans
Author(s) -
Wang Qin,
Zhou Yanfeng,
Song Bin,
Zhong Yiling,
Wu Sicong,
Cui Rongrong,
Cong Haixia,
Su Yuanyuan,
Zhang Huimin,
He Yao
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201600766
Subject(s) - caenorhabditis elegans , toxicity , subcellular localization , endocytosis , biology , quantum dot , biosafety , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , nanotechnology , chemistry , biochemistry , materials science , gene , cytoplasm , organic chemistry , cell
The wide‐ranging applications of fluorescent semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have triggered increasing concerns about their biosafety. Most QD‐related toxicity studies focus on the subcellular processes in cultured cells or global physiological effects on whole animals. However, it is unclear how QDs affect subcellular processes in living organisms, or how the subcellular disturbance contributes to the overall toxicity. Here the behavior and toxicity of QDs of three different sizes in Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) are systematically investigated at both the systemic and the subcellular level. Specifically, clear size‐dependent distribution and toxicity of the QDs in the digestive tract are observed. Short‐term exposure of QDs leads to acute toxicity on C. elegans , yet incurring no lasting, irreversible damage. In contrast, chronic exposure of QDs severely inhibits development and shortens lifespan. Subcellular analysis reveals that endocytosis and nutrition storage are disrupted by QDs, which likely accounts for the severe deterioration in growth and longevity. This work reveals that QDs invasion disrupts key subcellular processes in living organisms, and may cause permanent damage to the tissues and organs over long‐term retention. The findings provide invaluable information for safety evaluations of QD‐based applications and offer new opportunities for design of novel nontoxic nanoprobes.