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Absorption, accumulation, physiological responses, and mechanistic insights into tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to polystyrene microplastics
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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.
Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized for their uptake by plants and associated risks to human health through the food chain. However, the underlying mechanisms governing MP absorption and physiological impacts in crop plants remain inadequately understood. This study systematically examined for the first time the uptake, translocation, accumulation, physiological alterations, and molecular mechanisms elicited by polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) in tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.). Results showed that both sized PS-MPs were absorbed by root tissues and then translocated to aerial parts, accumulating preferentially in roots > stems > leaves. Smaller particles and higher exposure concentrations significantly enhanced internal accumulation. PS-MPs stress reduced root elongation, plant height, and fresh biomass, while upregulating oxidative stress markers concentration-dependently. Transcriptomic analyses showed that high concentrations of smaller-sized PS-MPs induced more differentially expressed genes, particularly those involved in key pathways such as plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway-plant, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Metabolomic profiling verified disruptions in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism, suggesting compromised membrane integrity and antioxidant capacity. This study advances our understanding of the physiological and molecular responses of tomato seedlings to MP stress and provides a theoretical framework for assessing the accumulation potential and ecological risks of terrestrial MP contamination in agricultural systems.
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