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Volume 5
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10.3390/microplastics5010014
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

From Antioxidant Defenses to Transcriptomic Signatures: Concentration-Dependent Responses to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Reef Fish

by
Manuela Piccardo
1,*,
Mirko Mutalipassi
2,3,*,
Lucia Pittura
3,4,
Rosa Maria Sepe
5,
Pasquale De Luca
6,
Laurence Besseau
7,
Monia Renzi
1,
Stefania Gorbi
3,4,
Vincent Laudet
8,
Alberto Pallavicini
1,9,
Paolo Sordino
10,† and
Antonio Terlizzi
1,3,†
1
Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri, 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
2
Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
3
NBFC—National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
4
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
5
Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
6
Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80126 Naples, Italy
7
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, Observatoire Océanologique, Sorbonne Université, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
8
Marine Eco-Evo-Devo Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Tancha, 1919-1 Onna, Okinawa, Japan
9
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80126 Naples, Italy
10
Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Contrada Porticatello, 29, 98167 Messina, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work and share last authorship.
Microplastics 2026, 5(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5010014
Submission received: 3 October 2025 / Revised: 28 October 2025 / Accepted: 9 January 2026 / Published: 16 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro- and Nanoplastics Beyond the Mainstream: Understudied Dimensions and Emerging Approaches)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Nanoplastics (NPs) pose significant risks due to their small size and ability to penetrate biological tissues. However, the molecular pathways and cellular mechanisms affected by NP exposure in marine teleosts remain poorly understood, especially in tropical reef fishes. This study examined the impact of short-term (7 days) waterborne exposure of 100 nm-carboxyl-modified polystyrene NPs on the false clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) exposed at two daily concentrations: low (20 µg/L, environmentally relevant) and high (2000 µg/L). A multidisciplinary approach, including biochemical and transcriptomic analyses, was conducted to assess toxic effects. Biochemical assays revealed limited changes in antioxidant defenses (CAT, GR, GST, TOSC). However, the Integrated Biomarker Response index (IBRv2i) suggested a compromised physiological condition, supported by transcriptomic data. Transcriptomic profiling revealed 409 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the high-concentration and 354 DEGs in the low-concentration groups, with 120 shared DEGs mostly upregulated and indicative of a core molecular response. Collectively, the transcriptional profile of the low-concentration group resembled an early-warning, energy-reallocation strategy aimed at preserving essential sensory functions while minimizing expendable functions. The high-concentration group amplified the shared stress signature and recruited an additional 289 unique genes, resulting in pronounced enrichment of Gene Ontology terms related to “muscle contraction”, “oxygen transport”, “hydrogen-peroxide catabolism”, and “extracellular-matrix”. This study demonstrates that PS-NP exposure can alter gene expression and physiology in juvenile reef fish, even at environmentally relevant concentrations. Molecular responses varied with concentrations highlighting the role of exposure level in influencing biological systems and potential long-term impacts of NP pollution in marine environments.
Keywords: false clownfish; Amphiprion ocellaris; environmentally relevant concentration; plastic pollution; toxicogenomic; IBRv2i; RNA-seq; oxidative stress; multi-biomarker false clownfish; Amphiprion ocellaris; environmentally relevant concentration; plastic pollution; toxicogenomic; IBRv2i; RNA-seq; oxidative stress; multi-biomarker

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Piccardo, M.; Mutalipassi, M.; Pittura, L.; Sepe, R.M.; Luca, P.D.; Besseau, L.; Renzi, M.; Gorbi, S.; Laudet, V.; Pallavicini, A.; et al. From Antioxidant Defenses to Transcriptomic Signatures: Concentration-Dependent Responses to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Reef Fish. Microplastics 2026, 5, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5010014

AMA Style

Piccardo M, Mutalipassi M, Pittura L, Sepe RM, Luca PD, Besseau L, Renzi M, Gorbi S, Laudet V, Pallavicini A, et al. From Antioxidant Defenses to Transcriptomic Signatures: Concentration-Dependent Responses to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Reef Fish. Microplastics. 2026; 5(1):14. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5010014

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piccardo, Manuela, Mirko Mutalipassi, Lucia Pittura, Rosa Maria Sepe, Pasquale De Luca, Laurence Besseau, Monia Renzi, Stefania Gorbi, Vincent Laudet, Alberto Pallavicini, and et al. 2026. "From Antioxidant Defenses to Transcriptomic Signatures: Concentration-Dependent Responses to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Reef Fish" Microplastics 5, no. 1: 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5010014

APA Style

Piccardo, M., Mutalipassi, M., Pittura, L., Sepe, R. M., Luca, P. D., Besseau, L., Renzi, M., Gorbi, S., Laudet, V., Pallavicini, A., Sordino, P., & Terlizzi, A. (2026). From Antioxidant Defenses to Transcriptomic Signatures: Concentration-Dependent Responses to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Reef Fish. Microplastics, 5(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics5010014

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