We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Polyvinyl chloride microplastics and drought co-exposure alter rice growth by affecting metabolomics and proteomics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how PVC microplastics combined with drought stress affect rice growth using advanced protein and metabolite analysis. They found that both stressors individually harmed rice development, but together they caused even greater damage to plant metabolism and growth. The study reveals that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may worsen the effects of drought on crop production.
Microplastics, interacting with drought stress, have become threat to crops by altering soil environment. Currently, the effect of combined microplastic and drought stress on crop growth remain poorly understood. In this work, the mechanism of multi-stress responses was investigated under the exposure of polvinylchloride microplastic (PV) and drought (D) individually and in combination (DPV) on rice varieties Hanyou73 and Q280 through proteomics and metabolomic analysis. All treatments negatively affect chlorophyll content, antioxidant enzyme activities, rice grain composition, metabolome and proteomic profiling of both rice varieties. Full rice grain yield was decreased under all treatments except PV treatment in which it was increased in both rice varieties. DPV treatment shows the lowest grain yield and more adverse effects on metabolome by affecting glycerophospholipid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism. Soluble sugar contents were decreased in H73 but in Q280 increased by 159 % under DPV and 123 % in PV treatment, compared to their control group. The results from metabolomics illustrate that glycerophospholipid metabolism is commonly altered in both rice types under all treatments. PV and drought alone and in combination induce extensive alterations in proteomics of rice leaves especially impacting proteins related to binding, translation and photosynthetic process. The results reveal that PV and DPV treatments highly distort the abundance of metabolites and proteins in both rice types, demonstrating that microplastic toxicity effects on rice plants become more severe when combined with drought stress.
More Papers Like This
Single and combined effect of tetracycline and polyethylene microplastics on two drought contrasting cultivars of Oryza sativa L. (Rice) under drought stress
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how the combination of the antibiotic tetracycline and polyethylene microplastics affects two rice varieties under drought conditions. They found that drought-resistant and drought-sensitive rice cultivars responded differently — the sensitive variety accumulated more of the antibiotic under drought stress. Metabolic analysis revealed that drought combined with these pollutants caused widespread disruption of plant metabolic processes, suggesting that climate stress and plastic pollution together may pose compounded risks to crop production.
Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed the toxicity mechanism of individual or combined of microplastic and salt stress on maize
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics combined with salt stress affect maize seedlings, finding that the combination reduced plant growth by nearly 74%, far worse than either stressor alone. Gene and metabolite analysis revealed that the combined stress severely disrupted energy production, antioxidant defenses, and hormone signaling in the plants. This is relevant to food security because microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils with high salt levels could dramatically reduce crop yields.
Effects of microplastics on growth and metabolism of rice (Oryza sativa L.)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics inhibited rice growth and disrupted ionic homeostasis and antioxidant metabolism in a dose-dependent manner, with PVC microplastics causing more severe effects than polystyrene.
Phenotypic and transcriptomic shifts in roots and leaves of rice under the joint stress from microplastic and arsenic
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how rice plants respond when exposed to both microplastics and heavy metal cadmium at the same time. Researchers found that the combination caused distinct changes in root and leaf gene expression and growth patterns compared to either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics may alter how plants take up and respond to heavy metals, potentially affecting crop safety.
Microplastics meet invasive plants: Unraveling the ecological hazards to agroecosystems
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how microplastic contamination in soil combines with invasive plant species to affect rice crops. The combination of both stressors caused greater changes in rice metabolism and antioxidant responses than either stressor alone. These findings highlight how microplastic pollution in agricultural soil can interact with other environmental challenges to threaten food safety and crop health.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.