An integrated metabolomic and proteomic study of toxic effects of Benzo[a]pyrene on gills of the pearl oyster Pinctada martensii

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the most important polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are widely present in the marine environment. Because of its teratogenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects on various organisms, the toxicity of BaP is of great concern. In this study, we focused on the toxic effects of BaP (1 µg/L and 10 µg/L) on gills of the pearl oyster Pinctada martensii using combined metabolomic and proteomic approaches. At the metabolome level, the high concentration of BaP mainly caused abnormal energy metabolism, osmotic regulation and immune response marked by significantly altered metabolites in gills. At the proteome level, both concentrations of BaP mainly induced signal transduction, transcription regulation, cell growth, stress response, and energy metabolism. Overall, the research demonstrated that the combination of proteomic and metabolomic approaches could provide a significant way to elucidate toxic effects of BaP on P. martensii.