We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Multi-omics analyses reveal the responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rhizosphere bacterial community to nano(micro)plastics stress
Summary
Researchers used multi-omics analysis to investigate how nano- and microplastics of different types and sizes affect wheat plants and the bacterial communities in their root zone. They found that smaller nanoplastics caused more severe disruptions to plant gene expression and soil microbiome composition than larger microplastics. The study reveals that plastic particle size is a critical factor determining the severity of impacts on agricultural systems.
The pervasive existence of nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs) in soil has become a worldwide environmental concern. N/MPs exist in the environment in a variety of forms, sizes, and concentrations, while multi-omics studies on the comprehensive impact of N/MPs with different properties (e.g. type and size) on plants remain limited. Therefore, this study utilized multi-omics analysis methods to investigate the effects of three common polymers [polyethylene-NPs (PE-NPs, 50 nm), PE-MPs (PE-MPs, 10 μm), and polystyrene-MPs (PS-MPs, 10 μm)] on the growth and stress response of wheat, as well as the rhizosphere microbial community at two concentrations (0.05 and 0.5 g/kg). PS and PE exhibited different effects for the same particle size and concentration. PE-NPs had the most severe stress effects, resulting in reduced rhizosphere bacteria diversity, plant biomass, and antioxidant enzyme activity while increasing beneficial bacteria richness. N/MPs altered the expression of nitrogen-, phosphorus-, and sulfur-related functional genes in rhizosphere bacteria, thereby affecting photosynthesis, as well as metabolite and gene levels in wheat leaves. Partial least squares pathway models (PLSPMs) indicated that concentration, size, and type play important roles in the impact of N/MPs on the plant ecological environment, which could have essential implications for assessing the environmental risk of N/MPs.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic particles alter wheat rhizosphere soil microbial community composition and function
Researchers found that microplastic particles altered wheat rhizosphere soil microbial community composition and function, with different polymer types inducing distinct shifts in bacterial diversity and nutrient cycling processes.
Microplastics in soil–plant systems: impacts on soil health, plant toxicity, and multiomics insights
This review synthesizes current knowledge on how microplastics affect soil health and plant growth in agricultural systems, with insights from advanced omics technologies. Researchers found that microplastics degrade soil structure, disrupt nutrient cycles, alter microbial communities, and can be taken up by plant roots, triggering oxidative stress and impaired growth. The study highlights how transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics are revealing the molecular-level stress responses plants mount against microplastic exposure.
Impact of Nanoplastic Contamination on Rhizosphere Microbiome and Plant Phenotype
This study examined how nanoplastic contamination affects the rhizosphere microbiome (soil bacteria around plant roots) and plant growth. Nanoplastic exposure altered soil microbial communities and reduced plant growth, suggesting these tiny plastic particles could disrupt the soil ecosystems that support food production.
The effects of Micro/Nano-plastics exposure on plants and their toxic mechanisms: A review from multi-omics perspectives.
A multi-omics review of micro/nanoplastic effects on plants found that plastic exposure disrupts gene expression, protein function, and metabolic pathways across multiple plant systems, with potential consequences for crop yield and agricultural food safety.
[Effects of Microplastics on the Growth, Physiology, and Biochemical Characteristics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum)].
Wheat seedlings were grown in soils spiked with 100 nm and 5 μm polystyrene microplastics, with high concentrations (200 mg/L) significantly inhibiting root and stem elongation, reducing chlorophyll, and altering antioxidant enzyme activity, with smaller nanoplastics showing greater toxicity. The findings demonstrate that microplastic size influences phytotoxicity in a major agricultural crop.