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Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the metabolic level of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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This study examined how polystyrene microplastics affect the metabolism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common water bacterium that can cause serious infections in humans. The microplastics significantly disrupted the bacteria's metabolism, reducing its ability to process lipids, amino acids, and energy-producing molecules. These metabolic changes could alter how this pathogen behaves in the environment and potentially affect its ability to cause disease.
Given the widespread presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water and its threat to human health, the metabolic changes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa when exposed to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) exposure were studied, focusing on molecular level. Through non-targeted metabolomics, a total of 64 differential metabolites were screened out under positive ion mode and 44 under negative ion mode. The content of bacterial metabolites changed significantly, primarily involving lipids, nucleotides, amino acids, and organic acids. Heightened intracellular oxidative damage led to a decrease in lipid molecules and nucleotide-related metabolites. The down-regulation of amino acid metabolites, such as L-Glutamic and L-Proline, highlighted disruptions in cellular energy metabolism and the impaired ability to synthesize proteins as a defense against oxidation. The impact of PS-MPs on organic acid metabolism was evident in the inhibition of pyruvate and citrate, thereby disrupting the cells' normal participation in energy cycles. The integration of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that PS-MPs mainly caused changes in metabolic pathways, including ABC transporters, Aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, Purine metabolism, Glycerophospholipid metabolism and TCA cycle in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Most of the differential metabolites enriched in these pathways were down-regulated, demonstrating that PS-MPs hindered the expression of metabolic pathways, ultimately impairing the ability of cells to synthesize proteins, DNA, and RNA. This disruption affected cell proliferation and information transduction, thus hampering energy circulation and inhibiting cell growth. Findings of this study supplemented the toxic effects of microplastics and the defense mechanisms of microorganisms, in turn safeguarding drinking water safety and human health.
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Researchers examined the molecular mechanisms by which polystyrene nanoplastics affect Pseudomonas aeruginosa, finding dose-dependent responses in growth, metabolism, and virulence gene expression that reveal how nanoplastics interact with environmentally relevant bacteria.
Metabolic Reprogramming in Gut Microbiota Exposed to Polystyrene Microplastics
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This pilot study exposed common gut bacteria to polystyrene microplastics in the lab and found that the plastics reduced bacterial growth in a dose-dependent manner and disrupted key metabolic pathways. When gut bacteria from mice were tested, microplastic exposure shifted the microbial community balance, reducing beneficial species. These results suggest that microplastics ingested through food and water could alter the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in digestion, immunity, and overall health.
Polystyrene nanoparticles induce biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoparticles caused the common bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to form thicker biofilms and become more resistant to antibiotics. The nanoplastics damaged bacterial cell membranes and triggered a stress response, prompting the bacteria to produce more protective biofilm as a defense mechanism. This is concerning for human health because it suggests nanoplastic pollution could make disease-causing bacteria harder to treat with existing antibiotics.
Effects of unmodified and amine-functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics on nitrogen removal by Pseudomonas stutzeri: strain characteristics, extracellular polymers, and transcriptomics
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Researchers investigated how two types of polystyrene nanoplastics — plain and amine-modified — affect the ability of bacteria to remove nitrogen from water, a process important for wastewater treatment. The amine-coated nanoplastics were found to be more disruptive than unmodified ones, altering the bacteria's cell surface, extracellular proteins, and gene expression. This matters because nanoplastics entering wastewater systems could undermine the biological processes that keep treated water safe to release into the environment.
Metabolic impacts of polystyrene microplastics on the freshwater microalga Microcystis aeruginosa
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Researchers used untargeted metabolomics to investigate how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes affect the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa at the metabolic level. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted lipid metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis pathways, with effects varying by particle size and concentration. The study reveals that microplastics can cause subtle but measurable biochemical changes in freshwater algae that may not be captured by standard ecotoxicology tests.
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