PFOS Disrupts Membrane Signaling and Epithelial Integrityin Fallopian Tube Cells

Abstract

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), is a widespread persistent environmental pollutant that has been implicated in various human health conditions, including infertility and cancer. Here, we investigate the effects of acute exposure to PFOS on human fallopian tube epithelial (FNE) cells that are essential for fertility and increasingly recognized as the origin site for high-grade serous ovarian cancer. We show that acute PFOS exposure changes morphology, arrests proliferation, impairs adhesion, and compromises epithelial integrity of FNE cells. Using transcriptomic profiling of FNE cells exposed to PFOS, we found increased expression of genes associated with stress-response signal transduction, including KRAS, and decreased expression of genes related to cholesterol transport and lipid homeostasis. We show that inhibition of MEK/ERK or cholesterol supplementation rescued changes in cell morphology. Further, we performed membrane fluidity measurements of cells exposed to PFOS and found elevated membrane disorder and fluidity. Our results are consistent with a model in which PFOS perturbs plasma membrane, activates stress-response signaling pathways, and impairs epithelial cell function. These studies establish a framework for understanding the effects of PFAS on cell physiology.