Toxicities of microcystin LR on caenorhabditis elegans and their offspring

In the present study, we investigated the toxicities of microcystin LR (MCLR) to Caenorhabditis elegans and the transferability of these toxicities from parents to offspring. Our results showed that the endpoints of life span and body length were not sensitive to low concentration of MCLR exposure (<;10 μg/L). However, MCLR exposure can lead to serious reproduction and locomotion defects in a concentration-dependent manner and these defects can be to some extent transferred to their offspring. Therefore, the hazards induced by MCLR to C. elegans may be more serious than previously estimated. Toxicities of MCLR and their transfer to offspring (F1) may severely impede the development of C. elegans both at individual and population levels.