Changes in global methylation patterns of Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to microplastics

Microplastics (MPs) disturb the normal activity of aquatic organisms at different levels, causing physiological stress and altering feeding, growth, and reproduction. Alterations of epigenetic patterns due to exposure to MPs have scarcely been studied in invertebrates. In this study, Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels (N = 61) were intermittently exposed to different concentrations of pure polystyrene microbeads for three weeks. The concentrations used in this research were similar to those currently found in certain polluted environments (E1), as well as higher doses to which mussels could be further exposed (E2 and E3). After exposure period, the global methylation patterns were investigated using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLPs). Significantly lower methylation was found in exposed groups compared to the control group. The level of hypomethylation increased with the concentration of microbeads. Similar results were found from field samples inhabiting two sites differentially MPs-polluted. The implications of this discovery were analysed and discussed, noting the already known effects of MPs on metabolism and cell division. Further studies on this and other sentinel organisms are recommended to understand the response of the aquatic species to the currently increasing MPs pollution.