ORIGINAL ABSTRACT

Exposure to contaminants, such as the herbicide glyphosate, can suppress protective immune functions. Glyphosate is the herbicide most used worldwide and has been found in the plasma of more than 50 % of the Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and all-year-round in their aquatic environment. Our objectives were to analyze the consequences of glyphosate exposure on their immune responses via T-lymphocyte proliferation assays and transcriptomics. We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (mainly lymphocytes) of free-ranging manatees and performed T-cell proliferation assays. We used transcriptomics to understand the consequences of glyphosate in vitro exposure. The three doses chosen ranged from environmentally relevant concentrations at 10 to 10,000 µg.L-1 that is considered an environmental contamination scenario. Glyphosate caused a dose-dependent reduction in T-lymphocyte proliferation, with a significant mean reduction of 27.3 % at 10,000 µg.L-1 and up to 51.5 % in some individuals. Additionally, T-lymphocyte proliferation was significantly reduced in mid-winter compared to early winter. Transcriptomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells indicated that all doses of glyphosate (10, 1,000, and 10,000 µg.L-1) resulted in up-regulation of genes related to acute phase inflammation and inhibition of the T-lymphocyte proliferation pathway. Exposure to this contaminant along with other environmental stressors, such as extreme winters and red tide, might further affect the adaptive immune response of this threatened species.