# Micro- and Nanoplastics Act as Metal Carriers with the Potential to Alter Human Gene Expression Patterns—The Inferences from Bioinformatic Online Tools

## TL;DR

This study explores how micro- and nanoplastics, acting as metal carriers, may influence human gene expression, potentially affecting immune responses and other biological processes.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in using bioinformatic tools to infer gene expression changes caused by micro- and nanoplastics combined with metal ions.

## Key findings

- MNPLs and metal ions modulate genes involved in inflammation, immune response, and apoptosis.
- Altered gene sets are linked to oxidative stress and WNT signaling pathways.
- The study reveals pleiotropic effects of MNPLs and metals on gene networks.

## Abstract

Micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPLs) present in the environment have recently become a potential health hazard factor due to the ability to penetrate living organisms, their organs, and cells. MNPLs interact with and absorb chemicals and elements, including metals, such as iron, copper, and zinc, and transport them into the cells. The cells subsequently respond with the altered gene expression profiles. In this study, we applied freely accessible online bioinformatic tools to draw out the sets of genes modulated by the metal ions and MNPLs. We focused on the gene interactome as revealed by The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). To achieve a deeper insight into the biological processes that are potentially modulated, the retrieved CTD lists of genes, whose expression was influenced by MNPLs and metals, were subsequently analyzed using online tools: Metascape and String database. The genes from the revealed networks were arranged into functional clusters, annotated mainly as inflammation and immune system activity, regulation of apoptosis, oxidative stress response, Wingless-related Integration Site (WNT) signaling and ferroptosis. The complexity of the interactions between the gene sets altered by MNPLs and metal ions illustrates their pleiotropic effects on living systems.