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Polystyrene Nanoplastics Affect the Expression of Genes Involved in Cellular Processes in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.)
Summary
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (from broken-down polystyrene, like Styrofoam) can mess with a plant's genes—shutting down ones needed for growth, stress defense, and detoxification. While this study was done in a lab plant (not food crops) and doesn't directly test human health effects, it raises a flag: if nanoplastics can disrupt basic plant biology, they may also affect the crops we eat, which is worth watching given how much plastic pollution has spread into soil and water.
This study examines how polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) influence the expression of genes associated with cell cycle and stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. For this purpose, seedlings were exposed to PS-NPs at concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 40 mg L-1 for seven days under hydroponic conditions. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that PS-NPs were predominantly spherical in morphology. The expression levels of genes associated with the cell cycle (CYCD3;1), cell wall modification (TCH4 and KOR), detoxification (MATE1 and MATE2) and stress response (HSP70 and HSP90.1) were determined by qRT-PCR. PS-NPs exposure led to significant downregulation of CYCD3;1, TCH4, KOR, HSP70, HSP90.1, and MATE2 expression, while MATE1 gene was upregulated. These findings demonstrate that PS-NPs affect specific molecular processes and mechanisms in plants.