Agnieszka Babczyńska

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Verified

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• PhD
• Team Leader at University of Silesia in Katowice

The antimicrobial properties of spider silk have been a topic of scientific intrigue since ancient times. Despite extensive research, the question remains unresolved due to conflicting findings and methodological challenges. This work revisits and synthesizes current knowledge, proposing that spider cocoons, rather than other spider products, serve...

Increasing usage of nanoparticles or nanomaterials may lead to their release into the environment. The toxicity of these structures, classified as contaminants of emerging concern, is not yet sufficiently understood. However, as in the case of other environmental stressors, the effects of exposure to them should be analyzed on a multigenerational s...

Airborne road and abrasive car parts particles penetrate into aquatic and soil environments, but also, settling on vegetation along highways, enter trophic chains as a result of consumption by herbivorous invertebrates. The effects of this exposure are poorly recognized. The study aimed to assess the toxicity of two traffic-connected materials: tre...

(1) Car tyre microplastic particles (TMPs) significantly contribute to global microplastic pollution, with an estimated annual production of 6 million tonnes. However, the impact of TMPs, particularly tyre and road wear particles (TRWPs), resulting from tyre abrasion on the road on terrestrial organisms, is poorly understood. This study investigate...

Purpose. To assess the impact of mining waste on the heavy metal content of water surfaces, plants, and topsoil near the tailings dam of a Zn-Pb mine using both biotests and analytical methods. Methodology. A battery of microbiotests on different animal and plant species was carried out, making it possible to evaluate the toxic effect of residues a...

Mechanisms, including autophagy and apoptosis, which serve to regulate and ensure proper organism functions under optimal conditions, play additional defensive roles under environmental pressure. The aim of this study was to test the following hypotheses: (i) elevated autophagy and apoptosis intensity levels, as defensive processes in response to c...

The use of nanoparticles like graphene oxide (GO) in nanocomposite industries is growing very fast. There is a strong concern that GO can enter the environment and become nanopollutatnt. Environmental pollutants’ exposure usually relates to low concentrations but may last for a long time and impact following generations. Attention should be paid to...

To assess the immune potential of spiders, in the present study juvenile and adult females of Parasteatoda tepidariorum were exposed to Bacillus subtilis infection, injury by a nylon monofilament and a combination of both. The expression level of selected immune-related genes: defensin 1 (Pt DEF1 ), lysozyme 1 (Pt LYS1 ), lysozyme C (Pt LYSC ), lys...

Microplastic enlisted as a contaminant of emerging concerns in polluted environments interact with "traditional" contaminants such as metals, causing, among others, their increased accumulation in the body. Harmful effects depend on the exposed animals' possible preadaptation and/or cross-tolerance. The project aimed to assess the role of this phen...

Sponges, like Spongilla lacustris, as filter feeders, play an essential role in water purification in aquatic ecosystems. The body of this demosponge, in general, consists of both organic soft skeleton and a siliceous scaffold. Their construction of the spicule‐bundling scaffold as mechanical support for skeletal organic mesohyl seems crucial for f...

The rising applicability of graphene oxide (GO) should be preceded by detailed tests confirming its safety and lack of toxicity. Sensitivity to GO of immature, or with different survival strategy, individuals has not been studied so far. Therefore, in the present research, we focused on the GO genotoxic effects, examining selected parameters of DNA...

Complex biological systems often provide ready solutions for contemporary engineering. One such organism might be sponges, primitive, tissueless animals whose evolution over 600 million years has allowed them to become highly specialized. An example of such an organism is the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris L., an organism that filters water....

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are considered a material with low toxicity. However, no studies describe the effects of ND withdrawal after multigenerational exposure. The aim was to evaluate ND exposure (in the 1st and 2nd generations) effects at low concentrations (0.2 or 2 mg g⁻¹) and withdrawal (in the 3rd generation) in the wild (H) and longevity-selected...

In this paper, we consider the development of reliable tools to assess the water quality and state of aquatic ecosystems in dynamic conditions a crucial need to address. One of such tools could be devised by monitoring the taxonomic structure of reservoirs’ microbiomes. Microbial taxa’s ecological and metabolic characteristics suggest their essenti...

Currently, plastic is the most popular synthetic product. Although its history is rather short – the first plastic was created in the mid-19th century – its versatility has resulted in massive production around the world. The process of disposing of plastic-derived waste does not keep up with its grinding, and therefore the amount of synthetic wast...

The immune system of spiders is innate, non-specific and consists mainly of hemolymph cells and antibacterial proteins. The defensive response of hemocytes is based on hemolymph coagulation, phagocytosis of microorganisms, and melanotic encapsulation of pathogens. To learn more about the immune responses of spiders, we performed studies on the cosm...

This research settles to explore and thoroughly exhaust the matters of anti-microbial capabilities of cocoons and hunting spider silks. The poster includes our preliminary results centered around cocoons, while the studies are still ongoing.

Cocoons covering spider embryos may constitute a physical barrier, protecting eggs from microbial infections. The aim of the study was to find out if the embryos have their own immune potential. We test the effect of cocoon deprivation on the level of antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) produced by spider embryos of Parasteatoda tepidariorum and Pardosa...

The juvenile hormone (JH) plays a crucial role in arthropod physiological processes, e.g., the regulation of metamorphosis, development, and reproduction (the vitellogenesis, the development of gonads, egg production). Still, data about this sesquiterpenoid hormone in spiders (Araneae) are rudimentary and equivocal. The presence of the JH or its pr...

Dwelling intensity of horse-chestnut miner (Cameraria ohridella) larvae in various leaves insolation and temperature was measured to determine whether this pest’s development follows a predictable pattern or depends more on local microenvironment conditions. Mines growing on leaves of mature host plants (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) in their natural...

Variability of stress proteins concentration in caged carp exposed to transplantation experiment model dam reservoir was caused only by natural (climatic and biological) conditions. Thus, the reference data of stress proteins concentration range in young carp individuals were obtained. Metallothionein, HSP70 and HSP90 protein concentrations as biom...

Autophagy is a natural process that aims to eliminate malfunctioning cell parts, organelles or molecules under physiological conditions. It is also induced in response to infection, starvation or oxidative stress to provide energy in case of an energy deficit. The aim of this 2-dimensional study was to test if, and if so, how, this process depends...

Phytoplankton is one of the crucial components of water body ecosystems. Its presence and development depend on biological, physical and chemical factors and in consequence it is an important indicator of ecosystem condition. Monitoring of phytoplankton production, measured as chlorophyll a concentration, is a useful tool for assessing the status o...

Phytoplankton is one of the crucial components of water body ecosystems. Its presence and development depend on biological, physical and chemical factors and in consequence it is an important indicator of ecosystem condition. Monitoring of phytoplankton production, measured as chlorophyll a concentration, is a useful tool for assessing the status o...

Cadmium as a common environmental stressor may exert highly toxic effects on herbivorous insects. The question was whether possible elevation of an oxidative stress and imbalance of energetic reserves in insects may depend on developmental stage, sex and insect population’s multigenerational history of exposure to cadmium. So, the aim of this study...

Human activity is a serious cause of extensive changes in the environment and a constant reason for the emergence of new stress factors. Thus, to survive and reproduce, organisms must constantly implement a program of adaptation to continuously changing conditions. The research presented here is focused on tracking slow changes occurring in Spodopt...

Maintaining good condition of dam reservoirs in urban areas seems increasingly important due to their valuable role in mitigating the effects of global warming. The aim of this study is to analyze possibilities to improve water quality and ecosystem condition of the Paprocany dam reservoir (highly urbanized area of southern Poland) using current da...

In cohort splitting diverging sub-cohorts may show substantial differences in their growth and developmental rates. Although in the past causes and adaptive value of cohort splitting were studied in detail, individual-level consequences of cohort splitting are still rather overlooked. Life history theory predicts that considerably increased growth...

The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus, is one of the most common pests of stored legumes. Its occurrence adversely affects the quality of stored beans, making them unfit for consumption, resulting in substantial financial losses. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential insecticidal properties of the volatile fatty acids (VFAs)...

In this study we focused on Physella acuta, an alien snail species in order to determine their ability of bioaccumulation of heavy metals in their shells, bodies, the difference in accumulation in relation to age classes, and the influence of ecological variables on the community composition and density. On the basis of the results of ecological, t...

Allatoregulatory neuropeptides are multifunctional proteins that take part in the synthesis and secretion of juvenile hormones. In insects, allatostatins are inhibitors of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the corpora allata while allatotropins, act as stimulators. By quantitative real-time PCR, we analyzed the gene expression of allatostatin A (PtA...

The presented research focuses on the assessment of the changes in the behavioral and physiological parameters of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.)(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), treated with amorphous diatomaceous earth (DE)(Perma- Guard™). During the experiments, parameters such as stimulated and spontaneous locomotor activity, oxygen consumption and fe...

The aim of this study was to investigate whether zinc supplementation modulates cadmium toxicity in the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua selected for 135 generations towards cadmium tolerance. To achieve this, larvae originating from three laboratory populations of S. exigua (control strain - C; cadmium-intoxicated for 135 generations strain - Cd, a...

Knowledge about the immunity system of spiders is based on studies carried out on imago formes. Our research team is engaged in pioneering research on the defense potential formation in spider embryos. The results of our project suggest that the Parasteatoda tepidariorum eggs developing inside the cocoon are probably sterile, because no cultivable...

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the cadmium tolerance developed in the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua selected for over 150 generations may be related to synthesis of the stress proteins metallothioneins (Mts) and 70 kDa heat shock proteins (HSP70). To achieve this, six S. exigua strains (control, k), 150-generation Cd exposure st...

Background Knowledge about vitellogenesis in spiders is rudimentary. Therefore, the aim of study was to check the vitellogenin (Vg) presence in various tissues of the female spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, determine when and where vitellogenesis starts and takes place, and the putative role of selected hormones in the vitellogenesis. Results Her...

Pharmaceuticals and household chemicals are important components of municipal sewage. Many of them are biologically active, disrupting not only hormonal regulation of aquatic animals but also, indirectly, disturbing their immunological protection. In the environment, chemicals rarely act as individual substances, but as elements of mixtures. Theref...

Coexistence of organisms and pathogens has resulted in the evolution of efficient antimicrobial defense, especially at the embryonic stage. This investigation aimed to substantiate the hypothesis that the layers of silk in a spider cocoon play a role in the immunity of the embryos against microorganisms present in the external environment. A two-st...

Functions of the nervous and neuroendocrine system of spiders are still not fully understood. Recent reports confirmed the synthesis of allatoregulatory neuropeptides in Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Araneae, Theridiidae). It indicates that neurohormonal regulation of physiological processes in this spider species is present. The main goal of this st...

The European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner) is a crop pest that feeds on a wide range of host plants including dicots and is considered one of most serious maize pest in many parts of Europe also in Poland. Pest organisms should at first be controlled by biological methods and, if these are ineffective, the use of chemical agents is allowed...

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops in Poland. Among pests, phytophagous insects impact both the quality and quality of crop yields. Research on them has been carried out in Poland since the 1950s of the 20th century. In the middle of the 20th century on the maize acreage in Poland 32 species of the phytophagous insects were iden...

Pilot study on the immune system of Parasteatoda tepidariorum spider embryos. Detection of antibacterial proteins: lysozyme and defensins.

Ecdysteroids are probably the most important neurocompounds in the regulation of development processes in arthropods. However, knowledge about ecdysteroids in spiders is rudimentary, although the hypothetical model of ecdysteroids synthesis in the molting organ is known. In this study, we investigated the presence of genes encoding enzymes of the b...

Long lasting exposure of animals to stressing factor may lead to the selection of population able to cope with the stressor at lower cost than unexposed individuals. The aim of this study was to assess whether 130-generational selection of a beet armyworm to cadmium in food might have induced tolerance also to other stressors. The potential toleran...

The neuroendocrine system of insects, including the presence of the main neuroactive compounds, and their role in ontogenesis are probably best understood of all the arthropods. Development, metamorphosis, the maturation of the gonads, vitellogenesis and egg production are regulated by hormones (juvenile hormones, ecdysteroids) and neuropeptides. H...

In the case of the pests inhabiting metal polluted or fields where the use of pesticides is common , a natural selection of resistant individuals can occur. This may pose serious problems for humans, agriculture, as well as the economies of many countries. In this study, the hypothesis that multigenerational (120 generations) exposure to cadmium of...

Tail length and olive tail moment in S. exigua hemocyte nuclei (Variant 0). (PDF)

Tail length and olive tail moment in S. exigua hemocyte nuclei (Variant 2). (PDF)

The matrix of AFLP data generated after the analysis of 12 primer combinations for S. exigua control and cadmium breeding strains. (PDF)

Tail length and olive tail moment in S. exigua hemocyte nuclei (Variant 1). (PDF)

The rapid development of industry has caused widespread pollution in the environment, which has a negative impact on living organisms. Spiders belong to the group of animals that can exist in these anthropogenically changed areas. This is probably due to the development of tolerance mechanisms in these organisms. The impact of long-term pollution o...

Spiders play a crucial role in ecosystems. For a few decades, this group of arthropods has been the object of different analyses. However, their neuroendocrine system is a very neglected field of research. Lack of data about juvenile hormones (JHs) in spiders is observed. Information about neuropeptides is restricted to few publications about their...

Embryogenesis is especially sensitive to external factors. The changes in its course are often used as biomarkers of environmental impact. Since spider embryogenesis takes place inside cocoons, it is crucial to find a reliable tool to analyze this developmental phase with no intrusion into the cocoons. The aim of this study was to verify the effica...

Mózgi pająków, podobnie jak w przypadku kręgowców podzielone są na wyspecjalizowane struktury, pełniące różnorodne funkcje. Podobne ośrodki mózgowe zidentyfikowano u różnych przedstawicieli stawonogów, jednakże w wielu przypadkach nie jest jasne, czy struktury te są homologiczne. W przeciwieństwie do wielu stawonogów pająki nie posiadają wyodrę...

Białka szoku cieplnego (heat shock proteins, Hsp), nazywane również białkami stresu (stress proteins, sp) lub chaperonami odgrywają kluczową rolę w rozwoju oporności na stres i adaptacji do środowiska. Hsp70 jest największą i stosunkowo najlepiej poznaną rodziną białek stresu. W ostatnich latach białka te są obiektem zainteresowań wielu badaczy. Na...

In the present study, the intensity of degenerative changes (apoptosis, necrosis) in the cells of the midgut glands of male and female wolf spiders, Xerolycosa nemoralis (Lycosidae), exposed to natural (starvation) and anthropogenic (the organophosphorous pesticide dimethoate) stressors under laboratory conditions were compared. The spiders were co...

Arthropods brains are divided on specialized structures which perform multiple neurological functions. The centers can be further subdivided into smaller functional units. Similar brain centers have been identified in different representatives of the arthropod groups. However, it is not clear in many cases whether these structures are homologous. C...

The aim of this study was to assess and describe the developmental potential of the embryos of the wolf spider X. nemoralis collected from the reference site (Pilica) and a site heavily polluted with metals (Welnowiec) (southern Poland). For the analyses of the progress of development the embryos the computer microtomography was used. Adenylate con...

Spiders successfully survive in heavy metal polluted environments. They are generally classified as heavy metal macro-concentrators. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in their body depends on their load in the prey, hunting behaviour, activity, gender, age and intensity of exposure to metals. In their active form, potent toxic metals generate oxygen...

The aim of this study was to assess the intensity of enzymatic antioxidative parameters [i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and the glutathione peroxidases each selene dependent, GPOX or selene independent, including GSTPx, glutathione S-transferase, and GST] and non-enzymatic antioxidative parameters [i.e., glutathione total (GSH-t)...

Spiders successfully colonize industrially contaminated environments and maintain relatively stable populations. The aim of this study was to explain the reproductive strategies of two spider species, Xerolycosa nemoralis (an actively hunting, sit-and-pursue predator) and Agelena labyrinthica (a web-building, sit-and-wait predator), between contami...

Living under environmental pressure caused by chemical stressors requires additional energy resources which should be allocated into defensive mechanisms at the expense of growth or reproduction. Insufficiency of energy may lead to a series of negative responses that can be observed at various stages of egg production and embryonic development whic...

Spiders inhabiting post industrial environments, such as waste heaps or ore-bearing areas, are exposed to high concentrations of metals, accumulated in the body of their prey and transferred along food chains. Therefore spiders are pressed to develop metal-neutralization strategies. Low-molecular, multifunction proteins: metallothioneins (MTs), oft...

The aim of our studies was to explain the role of metallothioneins (MTs) in the neutralization of excessive amounts of metals (essential: copper (Cu) and toxic: cadmium (Cd)) and to describe the energy status in metal-exposed spiders Agelena labyrinthica in relation to its developmental stage, gender and origin. Juvenile, female and male spiders we...

Effects of environmental conditions on the distribution of resources between generative and vegetative reproduction were considered in relation to several theories. Our objective was to study the effects of heavy pollution-induced habitat deterioration on the growth and reproduction of Betula pendula Roth trees. The length of vegetative short shoot...

The purpose of this study was to explore a possible relationship between the soil availability of metals and their concentrations in various parts of Philadelphuscoronarius plants. Moreover, the possible impact of an aphid infestation on the contamination and antioxidant response of plants from the urban environment of Kraków and the reference rura...

The hsp70 level in the bodies of 1st instars of grasshoppers Chorthippus brunneus from unpolluted (Pilica) and polluted (Olkusz, Szopienice) sites and additionally exposed to various doses of zinc during diapause and embryonic development prior to hatching were measured by Western blotting. The main aim of our work was to assess the relationship be...

Glutathione contents and activity of glutathione-dependent enzymes in the body of insects inhabiting polluted areas depend on toxin kind, concentration and exposure time. Enzymatic response may be modified by gender, age, developmental stage and state of nutrition. Also, chronic exposure to metals in the environment may cause the selection of indiv...

In the funnel web spider Agelena labyrinthica (Agelenidae; A. l.), sheet web spider Linyphia triangularis (Linyphiidae; L. t.) and wolf spider Xerolycosa nemoralis (Lycosidae; X. n.) from two differently polluted meadow sites in southern Poland, we studied the relations between antioxidant parameters (glutathione, GSH; glutathione peroxidases, GPOX...

Grasshopper Stenoscepa sp is an insect species feeding on the South-African Ni-hyperaccumulating plants. Large amounts of Ni ingested by them have no effect on their development. To explain their ability to survive in such extreme conditions, we investigated the distribution of elements in the insect body by means of a nuclear microprobe [micro-par...

Insect reproduction is influenced by various factors, including food quality and quantity, temperature, population density and female age. Contamination, including heavy metals, may disturb reproductive processes. The aim of this work was to assess interactions between effects of aging in female Chorthippus brunneus and environmental pollution on t...

Berkheya coddii Roessler (Asteraceae) is a hyper-accumulator of nickel, which can be used in phytomining and phytoremediation. Chrysolina pardalina Fabricius (Chrysomelidae) is a phytophagous leaf beetle, which may be useful in controlling population levels of B. coddii after it has been introduced into a new habitat. The aim of this study was to i...

Long-term exposure to high levels of nickel may have caused adaptive changes in the enzymes that enable Chrysolina pardalina to deal with other stressors, including organophosphate pesticides. Abstract Berkheya coddii Roessler (Asteraceae) is a hyper-accumulator of nickel, which can be used in phytomining and phytoremediation. Chrysolina pardalina...

The distribution and concentration of selected elements by PIXE method and DNA damage using comet assay in brains of 1st instars of grasshoppers Chorthippus brunneus from unpolluted (Pilica) and polluted (Olkusz) site, additionally exposed to various doses of zinc during diapause or after hatching, were measured. We tried to assess the degree of po...

In this study, an attempt has been made to assess whether a chronic exposure to metals in habitats under a strong industrial pressure might have equipped spiders with biochemical defensive mechanisms enabling them to survive an additional chemical stress. To check this, non-web-building wolf spiders Pardosa lugubris (Lycosidae) and funnel web Agele...

Spiders' feeding behaviour and external digestion expose them to man-made pollutants, especially those easily transferred along the food chain. The problem for this study was whether the levels of heavy metals in selected species of spiders from the Lidice coal dump reflect adaptation to environmental pollutants. We used flameless and flame AAS to...

We studied how an exposure to an additional stressing factor-dimethoate, might affect detoxifying ability of grasshoppers collected at 5 meadow sites located along a heavy metal pollution gradient. Activities of esterases and enzymes linked with glutathione (GSH) metabolism were assayed 24 h after topical treatment with 0.32 microg dimethoate per i...

We studied the relations between glutathione-dependent detoxifying enzymes and heavy metal burdens in the web-building spider Agelena labyrinthica (Agelenidae) and the wolf spider Pardosa lugubris (Lycosidae) from five meadow sites along a heavy metal pollution gradient. We assayed the activity of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione per...

The aim of the study was to determine whether there are signs of adaptation of soil fauna to a gradient of heavy metal contamination. Earthworms Aporrectodea caliginosa, Lumbricus terrestris and Eisenia fetida were collected during the spring and summer of 2000 and 2001 from meadow sites situated between 2 and 32 km from the Bukowno-Olkusz complex...

Among the cytoplasmatic enzymes responsible for neutralization of organic xenobiotics, carboxylesterases (CarE) and glutathione S-transferases (GST) play important roles. Our study tested to what extent dietary Zn or Cd could modify the activity of CarE and GST at different life-stages of the carabid beetle Poecilus cupreus. Treatment and stage eff...

Spiders were studied as predators of the invertebrate epigeic fauna inhabiting forest and grassland ecosystems variously polluted with metals. The response of detoxifying enzymes in adult male and female spiders (a wolf spider Pardosa lugubris and a funnel weaver Agelena labyrinthica) was compared using material collected at five sites in forest an...