The neurotoxicity of emerging contaminants, polyhalogenated carbazoles (PHCZs), is elusive. In this study, we investigated the potential toxicity of 13 prevalent PHCZs utilizing a network toxicology approach, which revealed shared molecular targets associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Molecular docking simulations assessed the binding affinities of these PHCZs for eight key PD-related targets, identifying monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) as a critical target. Among the dihalogenated PHCZs, 2,7-dibromocarbazole (2,7-BCZ) exhibited the highest binding affinity to MAOB. Comparative molecular docking and dynamics simulations suggest that the inhibition of MAOB activity by 2,7-BCZ is a potential initiating event in PHCZ-induced neurological disorders. In vivo experiments confirmed that 2,7-BCZ exposure highly correlates with α-synuclein aggregation, a hallmark of PD pathology. Transcriptomic sequencing of 2,7-BCZ-exposed SH-SY5Y cells, combined with analysis of public PD microarray data, identified shared transcriptional alterations in genes including CLSTN2, CBLN1, AGTR1, DLK1, and DDC. By integrating pathways from PD-related targets of PHCZs, differentially expressed genes in 2,7-BCZ-exposed cells, and public PD data sets, we further elucidated key biological pathways through which 2,7-BCZ may contribute to PD pathogenesis, particularly dopaminergic synapse function and neurodevelopmental regulation. Collectively, this study not only highlights the potential role of PHCZs in PD, elucidating the potential biological mechanisms by which PHCZs may exacerbate PD, but also exemplifies an innovative, animal-sparing approach using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to assess environmental pollutants' risks in neurodegenerative adverse outcomes.
Lu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.