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Epigenetic Effects of Microplastics Exposure on the Common Mysid Shrimp, Americamysis Bahia
Thesis   Open access

Epigenetic Effects of Microplastics Exposure on the Common Mysid Shrimp, Americamysis Bahia

Jack Hamilton Prior
University of West Florida Libraries
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2020

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Abstract

Microplastics are publicly recognized as a ubiquitous issue of environmental concern in aquatic systems. Primary consumers of microplastics are often zooplankton of biological and commercial importance, including the mysid shrimp, Americamysis bahia. In the presence of environmental stressors, gene expression may be altered without changing DNA sequences. This can occur through methylation of the DNA, in which a methyl group binds to nucleotide base pairs, most commonly cytosine. In this study, exposure to 5 micrometer microbeads at different concentrations caused no significant effect on mortality within 72 hours of exposure, but significantly increased mortality thereafter. Microplastics were shown to interact and accumulate on mysid bodies in various ways that would likely cause stress. An ELISA-like colorimetric assay was used to assess mysid shrimp genomic DNA for differences in global percent methylation that are potentially associated with microplastics exposure. No significant difference in the average percent of methylated DNA was found between treatment groups. There was no significant difference in the number methylation detections between treatments. This is the first study that has detected DNA methylation in any member of the order Mysida. This is the first study that has investigated DNA methylation effects as a result of microplastic induced stress.
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Epigenetic Effects of Microplastics Exposure on the Common Mysid Shrimp, Americamysis Bahia20.54 MBDownloadView
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