Benzophenone-4 inhibition in marine diatoms: Physiological and molecular perspectives

Benzophenone-4 (BP-4), a widely utilized organic ultraviolet (UV) filter, is recognized as a pseudo-persistent contaminant in aquatic environments. To elucidate the effects and mechanisms of BP-4 on marine diatoms, an investigation was conducted on the growth rate, photosynthetic pigment content, photosynthetic parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, cellular structure, and transcriptome profile of the model species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum. The results showed a pronounced inhibition of algal growth upon exposure to BP-4, with a 144 h-EC₅₀ value of 201 mg·L^-1. In addition, BP-4 exposure resulted in a significant reduction in biomass, disruption of cell membrane integrity, and increased MDA accumulation, with levels escalating 3.57-fold at 125 mg·L^-1 of BP-4. In the BP-4-treated samples, 1556 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 985 were upregulated and 571 were downregulated. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the carbon fixation and carbon metabolism processes in P. tricornatum were disrupted in response to BP-4 exposure, along with excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The upregulation of genes associated with photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll and carotenoids) synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, ribosome biogenesis, and translation-related pathways may be regarded as a component of P. tricornatum's tolerance mechanism towards BP-4. These results provide preliminary insights into the toxicity and tolerance mechanisms of BP-4 on P. tricornatum. They will contribute to a better understanding of the ecotoxicological impacts of BP-4 on the marine ecosystem and provide valuable information for elimination of BP-4 in aquatic environment by bioremediation.