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Molecular networks and metabolic adaptations of Skeletonema costatum under polystyrene nanoplastic stress
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Tiny plastic particles from pollution (called nanoplastics) can seriously stress out a key type of ocean algae, damaging its cell membranes and slowing its growth and photosynthesis — though the algae fight back by ramping up antioxidants and energy production to survive. This matters because this algae is a foundational food source in ocean ecosystems, so if nanoplastic pollution weakens it, that disruption could ripple up the food chain — the same food chain that eventually includes the seafood we eat.
海洋纳米塑料（nanoplastics, NPs）污染日益严重，其对初级生产者微藻的毒性机制亟待阐明。本研究以典型海洋硅藻中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）为对象，探究其在聚苯乙烯纳米塑料（polystyrene nanoplastics, PS-NPs）暴露（0.1 mg/L低浓度、10 mg/L高浓度）下的毒性效应及分子机制。结果表明，PS-NPs显著抑制藻细胞生长和叶绿素a合成，且呈浓度依赖性。转录组分析揭示，PS-NPs通过抑制脂肪酸（fabG, fabZ）和甘油磷脂（AGPAT, EPT）代谢基因来破坏细胞膜，下调光合基因（psbK）表达水平，同时诱导氧化应激。作为响应，藻细胞上调抗氧化基因（SOD1, GST, APX, RRM1）并激活能量代谢通路（柠檬酸循环、糖酵解、氧化磷酸化）关键基因以弥补能量缺口。代谢组分析进一步显示，氨基酸生物合成、2-氧代羧酸代谢和ABC转运蛋白通路被显著富集，相关代谢物（如L-谷氨酰胺、2-酮戊二酸、α,α-海藻糖等）上调，表明藻细胞通过储备抗氧化前体、加强能量供应和外排毒物来应对胁迫。本研究解析了PS-NPs对海洋硅藻的多层次毒性机制及藻细胞的适应性防御策略，为海洋纳米塑料生态风险评估提供了重要科学依据。
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Investigating the Molecular Response of Skeletonema marinoi to Polyethylene Nano/Microplastics: Insights into Stress Genes, Inflammation, and Extracellular Polymeric Substance Production
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Researchers exposed the marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi to polyethylene nano- and microplastics and found that, despite no significant effect on growth, the particles triggered oxidative stress responses, inflammatory-like gene expression, and activation of programmed cell death pathways. The study suggests that even when diatoms appear resilient on the surface, microplastics may cause subtle molecular disruptions that could affect bloom dynamics and carbon cycling in the ocean.
Lipid fluorescence and antioxidant activity in microalgae under polystyrene microplastic stress
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Tiny plastic particles (microplastics) can stress out microalgae, the base of the ocean food chain, causing them to temporarily disrupt their fat production and ramp up antioxidant defenses to cope with the damage. Since these microalgae are eaten by small fish and other creatures that eventually end up in our food supply, this stress response could ripple up the food chain, potentially affecting the nutritional quality of seafood we eat. While this study didn't test human health directly, it adds to growing evidence that microplastic pollution may quietly reshape the marine ecosystems we depend on for food.
The Impact of Microplastics on the Growth of Skeletonema Costatum
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Researchers exposed the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum to polystyrene microplastics at 0.1 and 10 mg/L, finding that both concentrations initially stimulated cell growth and chlorophyll content but also elevated antioxidant enzyme activity, indicating a stress response even when growth appeared enhanced.
Surface functionalization of polystyrene nanoparticles modulates nanoparticle-induced phytotoxicity in Chlorella vulgaris
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (like those from broken-down plastic waste) can stress and damage algae, key organisms at the bottom of the food chain, even without killing them outright, and the type of surface coating on the plastic changes how much damage occurs. This matters because algae like these support aquatic ecosystems and food webs, so understanding how different forms of nanoplastics affect them helps scientists predict broader environmental and, potentially, human health impacts as these particles move through water systems and into the food we eat.
Toxicity of microplastics and nano-plastics to coral-symbiotic alga (Dinophyceae Symbiodinium): Evidence from alga physiology, ultrastructure, OJIP kinetics and multi-omics
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Researchers studied how microplastics and nanoplastics damage Symbiodinium, the algae that live inside coral and keep reefs alive. Even at concentrations found in the real environment, the plastic particles disrupted photosynthesis, caused oxidative stress, and triggered metabolic problems in the algae. Since the breakdown of this coral-algae partnership leads to coral bleaching, microplastic pollution could threaten the reef ecosystems that support fisheries and coastal communities worldwide.
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