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Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter Inhibits Plant Root Growth by Disrupting Polar Auxin Transport via Specific Molecular Fractions
Summary
Researchers found that dissolved organic matter leaching from polystyrene and PBAT microplastics — but not polypropylene — inhibits plant root elongation by disrupting polar auxin transport, with low-polarity saturated molecules interfering with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and causing abnormal hormone accumulation in root meristem tissue.
root growth. The results indicated that PS-DOM and PBAT-DOM, but not PP-DOM, significantly inhibit root elongation in a dose-dependent manner by impairing the meristem zone and stem cell activity. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that MP-DOM altered gene expression related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and the plant hormone signal transduction pathway. Molecular transformation network analysis revealed that low-polarity saturated molecules enriched in PS-DOM and PBAT-DOM perturbed the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, thereby indirectly impairing auxin homeostasis. Phenotypic analysis of auxin reporter lines confirmed that PS-DOM and PBAT-DOM disrupt polar auxin transport by downregulating the expression of auxin transporters, leading to abnormal auxin accumulation and inhibition of root growth. This study elucidates the molecular mechanism underlying MP-DOM-induced phytotoxicity, providing insight into the ecological risk assessment of microplastics in agricultural production.