Transgenerational and parental impacts of acrylamide exposure on Caenorhabditis elegans: Physiological, behavioral, and genetic mechanisms

Acrylamide is pervasive, and its exposure poses numerous health risks. This study examines both the direct and transgenerational effects of acrylamide toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans, focusing on physiological and behavioral parameters. Parental exposure to acrylamide compromised several aspects of nematode health, including lifespan, reproductive capacity, body dimensions, and motor and sensory functions. Notably, while exposure to low concentrations of acrylamide did not alter the physiological traits of the offspring-except for their learning and memory-these findings suggest a possible adaptive response to low-level exposure that could be inherited by subsequent generations. Furthermore, continued acrylamide exposure in the offspring intensified both physiological and perceptual toxicity. Detailed analysis revealed dose-dependent alterations in acrylamide's detoxification and metabolic pathways. In particular, it inhibits the gene gst-4, which encodes a crucial enzyme in detoxification, mitigates DNA damage induced by acrylamide, and highlights a potential therapeutic target to reduce its deleterious effects.