The joint toxicity effect of glyphosate and cadmium in a concentration-dependent manner on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

The co-occurrence of glyphosate (GPS), a commonly used organophosphorus herbicide, and cadmium (Cd), a neurotoxic metal, in agricultural environments prompts concerns about their combined toxic effects on ecosystems. This study explores the combined effects of GPS and Cd on the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), to understand their cumulative effects in organismal living environments. We investigated the interaction between GPS and Cd over 24 hours using a comprehensive approach that included a variety of toxicity endpoints as well as the novel Automated Recognition and Statistics Tool (NCLE) for body bend measurement. Our data show a concentration-dependent interplay in which antagonistic effects at lower concentrations reduce phenotypic damage while synergistic effects emerge at higher concentrations, particularly at GPS's LC50. Transcriptome analysis under antagonistic conditions revealed significant downregulation of Cd toxicity-related genes and identified Y22D7AL.16, which has a C2H2-type zinc finger domain, as a novel gene involved in metal stress response, implying an alternative Cd-resilience mechanism. The expression profile of this gene shows that it plays a larger role in both development and metal stress adaption. These findings highlight the complexities of compound pollutant interactions, emphasizing the importance of including such dynamics in environmental risk assessments and control techniques.