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Phosphorylation-Mediated Regulatory Networks Fine-Tune Rye Responses to PVC Nanoplastic Stress: Evidence from Multiomics and Computational Biology
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Scientists found that tiny PVC plastic particles (a common plastic type) can stunt rye plant growth, damage photosynthesis, and reduce grain yield by binding directly to key plant proteins. Since rye is a food crop, this suggests nanoplastic pollution in soil could threaten crop yields and food supplies, making plastic contamination a growing concern for farming and nutrition.
Abstract Although polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics (NPs-PVC) are widespread emerging contaminants, their crop toxicity mechanisms─especially at the post-translational modification (PTM) level─remain unclear. Using multiscale exposures (short-term hydroponics and whole-life-cycle soil cultivation), integrated physiological, imaging, omics (transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics), molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations, we systematically evaluated NPs-PVC impacts on Secale cereale. Short-term exposure inhibited growth, reduced photosynthesis, and induced oxidative stress, with PVC stably binding cytochrome f and catalase. Long-term exposure decreased grain weight and tillers, accompanied by transcriptional shifts in metabolism and stress pathways. Phosphoproteomics revealed widespread phosphorylation changes in photosynthesis- and lipid metabolism-related proteins, with PVC-14-3-3λ binding confirmed by simulation. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that NPs-PVC regulates agronomic traits mainly through oxidative stress and photosynthesis disruption. Collectively, NPs-PVC suppresses rye growth via direct protein binding, transcriptional reprogramming, and PTM-mediated physiological tuning. This study advances the understanding of nanoplastic phytotoxicity mechanisms and agricultural ecological risk assessment.
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