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Micro-nanoplastics enhance viral survival and infectivity: Experimental evidence from a bacteriophage D1 model system
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Researchers found that micro- and nanoplastics significantly enhanced the survival and infectivity of bacteriophage D1 in aquatic environments, with the effect positively correlated with microplastic concentration and varying by particle type, size, and environmental conditions.
Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), ubiquitous pollutants in aquatic environments, can interact with waterborne viruses. However, their combined effects remain poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate how MNPs affect viral infectivity and persistence under varying physicochemical and environmental conditions. Using the self-isolated bacteriophage D1 as a viral model, we investigated how different types, sizes, and concentrations of MNPs influence infection of the host bacterium JS682. Results demonstrated that MPs significantly enhanced viral infectivity, with the effect being positively correlated with MNP concentration, particle size, and degree of aging. Compared to control, MNPs in lake water further promoted viral infection, whereas seawater exhibited an inhibitory effect. After two weeks of incubation, phages exposed to MNPs showed a 44.5 % higher survival rate than the control group, indicating that MNPs can prolong phage viability. Mechanistic investigations using reverse transcription quantitative PCR and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that MNPs facilitate viral infection through adsorption processes. These findings suggest that MNPs can act synergistically with viruses in aquatic environments, posing potential ecological risks and highlighting the need for comprehensive risk assessments in water pollution management.
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Microplastics as potential carriers of viruses could prolong virus survival and infectivity
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Researchers investigated whether microplastics can serve as carriers for viruses in aquatic environments, using bacteriophage T4 as a model virus with polystyrene microplastics. They found that viruses readily attached to microplastic surfaces and that this attachment prolonged both virus survival and infectivity compared to free-floating viruses. The findings suggest that microplastics in water systems could help spread viral contamination over longer distances and timeframes.
Heteroaggregation of virions and microplastics reduces the number of active bacteriophages in aqueous environments
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Researchers discovered that microplastics can aggregate with bacteriophages in aquatic environments, reducing the number of active phages and potentially disrupting the natural balance of bacterial population control that relies on these viruses.
Microplastics ofBroad Size Range Reduce BacteriophageActivity in Aqueous Environments
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Researchers showed that microplastics of varying sizes reduce bacteriophage activity in water by adsorbing viral particles, potentially weakening the ecological role of phages in controlling bacterial populations in contaminated aquatic environments. (Duplicate record of ID 11205.)
Microplastics ofBroad Size Range Reduce BacteriophageActivity in Aqueous Environments
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Microplastics across a broad size range (1–300 μm) were found to adsorb bacteriophages and reduce their infectivity in aqueous environments, suggesting that microplastic pollution could disrupt phage-mediated regulation of bacterial communities. (Duplicate record of ID 11205.)
Microplastics ofBroad Size Range Reduce BacteriophageActivity in Aqueous Environments
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Microplastics across a broad size range adsorb bacteriophages in aqueous environments and reduce their lytic activity, with potential consequences for microbial community dynamics and pathogen control in plastic-contaminated waters. (Duplicate record of ID 11205.)
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.