Berlin 2024 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 2: Membranes and Vesicles I

BP 2.11: Talk

Monday, March 18, 2024, 12:30–12:45, H 2032

Physicochemical properties of microplastic particles affect their cellular uptake and maturation — •Simon Wieland^1,2, Anja FRM Ramsperger^1,2, Wolfgang Groß¹, Matteo Kumar¹, Johanna Bodrogi¹, Christian Laforsch², and Holger Kress¹ — ¹Biological Physics, University of Bayreuth, Germany — ²Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Microplastics are an abundant contaminant in the environment, raising concerns about harmful effects on organisms. Therefore, many studies investigating effects of microplastics on cells, tissues, and organisms were published. These studies often rely on commercial model microplastics, usually polystyrene microspheres. While nominally very similar, their physicochemical properties can differ, making it difficult to compare the results of different studies. We now show that nominally identical polystyrene microspheres from eight different manufacturers differ in their ζ-potential, which determines their cellular interactions and internalization by macrophages. We monitored the actin cytoskeleton during particle uptake and found that phagocytosis or macropinocytosis drive the internalization. The uptake time differed between particle types and was correlated with the particles ζ-potential. Furthermore, we examined the subsequent maturation and acidification of internalized microplastics. We found that the maturation kinetics strongly differed between particle types. Unraveling the kinetics and mechanisms of microplastic internalization and maturation in cells is essential to understand their potentially harmful effects.

Keywords: Microplastics; Phagocytosis; Particle-cell interactions