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From membrane damage to growth inhibition: The central role of photosynthetic redox homeostasis in nanoplastic toxicity to tomato
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Two tomato varieties grown in water with tiny polystyrene plastic particles took in similar amounts, but one grew bigger and photosynthesized better. Researchers found that variety made more protective antioxidants, which reduced damaging molecules and helped keep its plant cells and photosynthesis working.
Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging environmental contaminants capable of penetrating plant tissues and disturbing cellular homeostasis. To elucidate cultivar-dependent tolerance mechanisms, two tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars, H1706 (H) and Rheinlands Ruhm (R), were exposed to 50 mg/L of 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastic (PS-NPs) in a hydroponic system for 14 days. Despite comparable NPs accumulation (H: 6.12 ± 0.6 mg/kg; R: 6.71 ± 0.5 mg/kg), cultivar H exhibited 41.97% greater biomass and 8.18% higher photosynthetic efficiency, as indicated by the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/fm: 0.79 ± 0.02 vs. 0.73 ± 0.03) than R. Multi-omics (transcriptomics & metabolomics) analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes and metabolites were primarily enriched in the “photosynthesis” pathway ( p < 0.01). Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that PS-NPs inserted into the cell membrane and disrupted the structure within approximately 400 to 1300 ns of simulation time, ultimately leading to chloroplast disorganization and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. However, cultivar H maintained higher levels of both enzymatic antioxidants: peroxidase (POD; +16.07%) and superoxide dismutase (SOD; +19.21%); non-enzymatic antioxidants: glutathione (GSH; +14.76%) and ascorbic acid (AsA; +2.36%), and overall were 1.5–2.0-fold higher than those in cultivar R, leading to 35% lower ROS accumulation. Enhanced reduction-oxidation (redox) buffering preserved chloroplast integrity and sustained photosynthesis, conferring greater PS-NPs tolerance. This work demonstrates that integrating computational simulations with multi-omics can strengthen mechanistic understanding and improve toxicity prediction for plant-NPs interactions.
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Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect tomato plant growth and fruit quality, finding that exposure reduced seedling biomass, impaired photosynthesis, and triggered oxidative stress. At higher concentrations, the nanoplastics inhibited mineral uptake and diminished fruit yield along with nutritional quality markers like vitamin C and lycopene. The study highlights that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could pose a meaningful threat to food crop productivity and nutritional value.
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Tomato plants grown with polystyrene microplastics absorbed the particles through their roots and moved them into stems and leaves, with smaller particles and higher amounts building up more. Exposure reduced root growth, plant height and weight, increased oxidative stress markers, and altered gene activity and chemical processes linked to plant hormones and cell membranes.
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