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Visual observation of polystyrene nano-plastics in grape seedlings of Thompson Seedless and assessing their effects via transcriptomics and metabolomics
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Researchers demonstrated for the first time that polystyrene nanoplastics can be absorbed by grapevine roots and transported throughout the plant, reaching the leaves. The nanoplastics disrupted the plants' metabolism and activated stress-response pathways. This finding is important because it shows nanoplastics from contaminated soil could enter the food chain through grapes and other fruit crops.
Micro/nano-plastics (MNPs) are emerging non-point source pollutants that have garnered increasing attention owing to their threat to ecosystems. Studies on the effects of MNPs on horticultural crops are scarce. Specifically, whether MNPs can be absorbed and transported by grapevines have not been reported. To fill this gap, we added polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 100 nm) to a hydroponic environment and observed their distribution in grape seedlings of Thompson Seedless (TS, Vitis vinifera L.). After 15 d of exposure, plastic nanospheres were detected on the cell walls of the roots, stems, and leaves using confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. This indicated that PS-NPs can also be absorbed by the root system through the epidermis-cortex interface in grapevines and transported upward along the xylem conduit. Furthermore, we analyzed the molecular response mechanisms of TS grapes to the PS-NPs. Through the measurement of relevant indicators and combined omics analysis, we found that plant hormone signal transduction, flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and MAPK signaling pathway biosynthesis played crucial roles in its response to PS-NPs. The results not only revealed the potential risk of MNPs being absorbed by grapevines and eventually entering the food chain but also provided valuable scientific evidence and data for the assessment of plant health and ecological risk.
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Insights into growth-affecting effect of nanomaterials: Using metabolomics and transcriptomics to reveal the molecular mechanisms of cucumber leaves upon exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs)
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Researchers used advanced metabolomics and gene expression analysis to understand how polystyrene nanoplastics affect cucumber plant leaves. The study found that nanoplastic exposure altered key metabolic pathways and gene expression patterns, interfering with normal plant growth and physiology. The findings provide molecular-level evidence that airborne nanoplastics settling on crops could affect plant health and potentially food production.
Unveiling the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on vascular plants: A cellular metabolomic and transcriptomic review
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This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics affect plant health at the cellular and genetic level, disrupting metabolism, nutrient uptake, and growth in vascular plants. Since contaminated crops are a pathway for microplastics to enter the human diet, understanding how plants absorb and respond to these particles is important for food safety.
Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics during transport and redistribution in distinct plant species: A combined split-root experiment and metabolomic analysis
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Researchers used a split-root system to study how polystyrene nanoplastics travel through the root-shoot-root pathway and cause toxicity in cucumber and maize seedlings. The study found that nanoplastics inhibited growth in both exposed and unexposed roots, with cucumber showing greater sensitivity than maize, and metabolomic analysis revealed distinct disruptions in plant metabolism during nanoplastic transport and redistribution.
Metabolomics reveals how spinach plants reprogram metabolites to cope with intense stress responses induced by photoaged polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs)
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Researchers found that tiny plastic nanoparticles can be absorbed by spinach roots and travel into the edible leaves, disrupting the plant's normal metabolism. Aged (sun-weathered) nanoplastics caused even more severe effects than new ones, triggering widespread changes in the plant's chemical processes. This matters for human health because it shows microplastics can enter our food supply through the vegetables we eat.
Transport Dynamics and Physiological Responses of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Pakchoi: Implications for Food Safety and Environmental Health
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Researchers tracked fluorescently labeled nanoplastics as they traveled through pakchoi (a leafy green vegetable), entering through the roots, moving up through the plant's water-transport system, and accumulating in the leaves. The nanoplastics caused oxidative damage and disrupted plant hormones, demonstrating a clear pathway by which plastic pollution in soil could enter the human food supply through everyday vegetables.
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