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Water at the Interface: How Membrane Charge Controls Nanoplastic-Lipid Interactions.
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This lab study used light based methods to examine how tiny plastic particles affect artificial cell membranes. Plastic particles disturbed water and fat molecules at the membrane surface more strongly in neutral membranes than in negatively charged ones, though adding calcium made the charged membranes react similarly to neutral ones.
Nanoplastics are pervasive environmental contaminants capable of crossing biological barriers and interacting with cell membranes. However, the molecular mechanisms by which they perturb lipid interfaces remain poorly understood. Here, we combine Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR), and surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy to investigate how anionic polystyrene nanoplastic (NP) particles modulate the environment at the lipid-water interface in model lipid membranes by varying composition and ionic environment. Neutral phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and anionic phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine (POPC/POPS) membranes were used to probe the role of membrane charge on NP-induced interfacial perturbations. FTIR measurements show that NP-induced dehydration of the lipid headgroup region depends strongly on membrane composition, with partial dehydration observed in neutral POPC membranes but negligible changes in anionic POPC/POPS membranes. 2D IR spectra show that NPs induce faster H-bond fluctuations, as water molecules become more labile at the interface. SEIRA measurements further show that these interfacial perturbations are accompanied by localized changes in the acyl-chain ordering. Addition of Ca2+ enhances NP-induced changes to the negatively charged membranes, resulting in hydration dynamics and acyl-chain ordering that resemble those observed in neutral POPC membranes. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that interfacial dehydration is an early event associated with NP-membrane interactions and highlight the role of membrane charge and ionic environment in modulating these interactions.
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Researchers studied how nanoplastics with different surface charges interact with bacterial cell membranes, finding that positively charged particles penetrate bacteria far more effectively than neutral or negatively charged ones. The positively charged nanoplastics caused more cellular stress by generating reactive oxygen species and damaged cell structures differently depending on the bacterial type. These findings are important for understanding how nanoplastics may affect both environmental bacteria and the human microbiome.
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This study investigates whether nanoplastics — plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer — can interact with and physically alter cell membranes. Researchers found that nanoplastics can disrupt membrane structure, raising concerns about their ability to impair cellular function across a wide range of living organisms.
Perturbation of Nanoplastics on Biomembranes: Molecular Insights from Neutron Scattering
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can seriously damage cell membranes, which are the protective barriers around our cells. The plastic particles caused membranes to break apart and get thinner, though some natural cell types were more resistant to damage than others. This research helps us understand why the growing amount of plastic pollution in our environment and food could pose health risks to humans.
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