Transcriptomic fingerprints of C. elegans exposed to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with a monolayer of bovine serum albumin (BSA-SPIONs)

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) are currently being investigated for a range of biomedical applications. Their use have been related with different cytotoxic mechanisms including the generation of oxidative stress and the induction of metal detoxification pathways, among others. Different NP coatings are being explored, among them albumin which has been applied in some drugs delivery systems. We have investigated the molecular mechanisms responsive to in-house fabricated SPIONs coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA-SPIONs) in the nematode C. elegans to compare in vivo findings with previous in vitro studies. BSA-SPIONs (500 µg/ml) affected the transcriptional response of glycan metabolic pathways related to innate immune response, xenobiotics degradation, and triggered a lysosomal response, indicating a relevant biological role of this cellular compartment in the response to this nanoparticle treatment in C. elegans. Remarkably, key biological functions such as apoptosis or protein processing were not affected with significance despite the high dose of exposure. The global transcriptome was compared in wild type N2 raised in the presence or absence of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with a monolayer of bovine serum albumin (BSA-SPIONs) at the concentration of 500 µg/mL for 24 hours at the L4 stage in 50% M9 buffer.