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Volume 17
Issue 14
10.3390/w17142147
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Microbead-Mediated Enhancement of Bacterial Toxicity: Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Korean Rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, Following Exposure to Streptococcus iniae

by
Young Hoon Kwon
1,†,
Jin A. Kim
1,†,
Young-Su Park
2,
Jun-Hwan Kim
3,4,* and
Cheol Young Choi
1,5,*
1
Department of Convergence Study on the Ocean Science and Technology, National Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea
2
Department of Nursing, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan 46252, Republic of Korea
3
Department of Aquatic Life Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Republic of Korea
4
Department of Marine Life Science, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Republic of Korea
5
Division of Marine BioScience, National Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Water 2025, 17(14), 2147; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17142147
Submission received: 26 June 2025 / Revised: 16 July 2025 / Accepted: 16 July 2025 / Published: 18 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plastic’s (Eco)Toxicity Research in the Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Korean rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, a coastal species, is vulnerable to pollutants such as microplastics and bacteria. While interactions between microplastics and other pollutants have been studied, little is known about microplastic and bacteria interactions. This study examined the effects of combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics in the form of microbeads (MB; 0.2 µm, 5 and 50 beads/L) and Streptococcus iniae (1 × 105 and 1 × 107 CFU/mL) for five days on oxidative stress and apoptosis in Korean rockfish. We assessed the mRNA expression and activity of oxidative stress markers (SOD, CAT, H2O2, NO, CYP1A1, GST), plasma LPO levels, and caspase-3 expression in liver tissue. Co-exposure to high MB and S. iniae concentrations significantly elevated oxidative stress and apoptosis markers, suggesting enhanced toxicity. This may result from MB facilitating pathogen transport into the fish, indicating microplastics can act as vectors for bacterial infection in aquatic environments.
Keywords: Korean rockfish; microplastics; microbeads; oxidative stress-related genes; Streptococcus iniae Korean rockfish; microplastics; microbeads; oxidative stress-related genes; Streptococcus iniae

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kwon, Y.H.; Kim, J.A.; Park, Y.-S.; Kim, J.-H.; Choi, C.Y. Microbead-Mediated Enhancement of Bacterial Toxicity: Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Korean Rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, Following Exposure to Streptococcus iniae. Water 2025, 17, 2147. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17142147

AMA Style

Kwon YH, Kim JA, Park Y-S, Kim J-H, Choi CY. Microbead-Mediated Enhancement of Bacterial Toxicity: Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Korean Rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, Following Exposure to Streptococcus iniae. Water. 2025; 17(14):2147. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17142147

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kwon, Young Hoon, Jin A. Kim, Young-Su Park, Jun-Hwan Kim, and Cheol Young Choi. 2025. "Microbead-Mediated Enhancement of Bacterial Toxicity: Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Korean Rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, Following Exposure to Streptococcus iniae" Water 17, no. 14: 2147. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17142147

APA Style

Kwon, Y. H., Kim, J. A., Park, Y.-S., Kim, J.-H., & Choi, C. Y. (2025). Microbead-Mediated Enhancement of Bacterial Toxicity: Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Korean Rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, Following Exposure to Streptococcus iniae. Water, 17(14), 2147. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17142147

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