Proteome-wide reverse molecular docking reveals folate receptor as a mediator of PFAS-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity

ABSTRACT Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of long-lasting chemicals with widespread use and environmental persistence that have been increasingly studied for their detrimental impacts to human and animal health. Several major PFAS species are linked to neurodevelopmental toxicity. For example, epidemiological studies have associated prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) with autism risk. However, the neurodevelopmental toxicities of major PFAS species have not been systematically evaluated in an animal model, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these toxicities have remained elusive. Using a high-throughput zebrafish social behavioral model, we screened six major PFAS species currently under regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including PFOA, PFNA, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid ammonium salt (GenX). We found that embryonic exposure to PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS induced social deficits in zebrafish, recapitulating one of the hallmark behavioral deficits in autistic individuals. To uncover protein targets of the six EPA-regulated PFAS, we screened a virtual library containing predicted binding pockets of over 80% of the 3D human proteome through reverse molecular docking. The screen predicts that folate receptor beta (FR-β, encoded by the gene FOLR2 ) interacts strongly with PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS but to a lesser degree with PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX, correlating positively with their in vivo toxicity. These predictions were validated through in silico molecular docking, in vitro protein binding analysis, and in vivo loss-of-function verification. Furthermore, embryonic co-exposure to folic acid effectively rescued social deficits induced by PFAS. The folate pathway has been implicated in autism, indicating a novel molecular mechanism for PFAS in autism etiology.