Research progress on transgenerational toxicity induced by emerging pollutants and underlying mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans

Environmental pollution is closely associated with adverse effects on human health. In recent years, growing attention has been directed toward the environmental distribution and potential toxicity of emerging pollutants. Transgenerational toxicity refers to the transmission of toxicity from exogenous chemicals or harmful factors to offspring through specific mechanisms, resulting in developmental, physiological, or behavioral abnormalities.The toxicity of emerging pollutants to organisms is not limited to the parental generation, but may persist across multiple generations. Due to its extremely short life cycle and high sensitivity to environmental exposure, Caenorhabditis elegans is highly valuable for transgenerational toxicology research. This review first introduces the multifaceted transgenerational toxicity induced by exposure to emerging pollutants in Caenorhabditis elegans. Then, it systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of this toxicity, focusing on the regulation of transgenerational signaling communication, epigenetic signaling, metabolic signaling, and receptor signaling.