We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Multi‐Omics Insights Into Phenylpropanoid and Lipid Barrier Biosynthesis in Maize Roots Under Salt and Microplastic Stresses
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate how polystyrene microplastics and salt stress — individually and in combination — affect phenylpropanoid and lipid barrier biosynthesis in maize seedling roots, finding that combined stresses alter molecular defence pathways in ways distinct from either stressor alone.
Microplastics accumulate during saline-alkali land improvement from agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and plastic films, forming a composite stress on crop growth. This study investigated the response mechanisms of maize (Zea mays L.) seedling roots to individual and combined stresses from microplastics and salt. Maize seedlings were exposed to 100 mM NaCl and 50 mg l-1 Polystyrene microplastics. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted to elucidate molecular responses. Salt (NaCl) and microplastics (MPs), both individually and in combination (PNaCl), significantly inhibited root growth and water metabolism. NaCl and PNaCl stresses upregulated phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and 4-coumaroyl-CoA ligase in the phenylpropanoid pathway, promoting the accumulation of phenolic metabolites such as ferulic acid, while MPs stress had the opposite effect. Under NaCl stress, catechol-O-methyltransferase expression increased, enhancing caffeic acid conversion and antioxidant capacity. Additionally, NaCl and PNaCl stresses also promoted the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and wax, whereas MPs stress suppressed these genes. Overall, maize roots respond to NaCl and PNaCl stresses by activating phenylpropanoid metabolism, accumulating phenolic compounds, and enhancing the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and wax, thereby improving stress resistance and providing insights into plant adaptation to complex environmental conditions.
More Papers Like This
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 and salt single or combined stresses on growth and physiological responses of maize seedlings
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how microplastics and salt stress, individually and combined, affect the growth of maize seedlings. They found that combined exposure caused more severe damage than either stressor alone, reducing plant biomass, disrupting photosynthesis, and increasing oxidative damage. The findings are relevant to agricultural regions where plastic mulch films break down into microplastics in salt-affected soils, creating compounding stress on crops.
Dissecting Microplastics Stress: Impacts of Type, Size, and Dose on Nutrient Cycling, Growth, and Antioxidant Defense System in Maize Plant
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how polyester, polyethylene, and nylon microplastics across three size classes and doses affected maize growth, finding that polyethylene particles below 0.212 micrometers at 10 mg/L caused the greatest inhibition—reducing plant height by 30% and triggering antioxidant enzyme increases of over 120%. These agricultural impacts are directly relevant to human health because crop stress from microplastic contamination threatens food productivity and may alter the nutritional composition of staple foods.
Effect of combined salt and microplastic stress on the microbiota structure of the rice–oriental armyworm system
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how salt stress and polyethylene microplastic contamination together affect rice plants and the insects that feed on them. They found that while individual stressors reduced insect weight, the combined stress surprisingly allowed partial recovery, suggesting complex interactions between the two environmental factors. The study reveals that co-occurring stresses from salt and microplastics reshape microbial communities in both plants and insects in unexpected ways.
Maize adaptation to low-dose nanoplastic–lead co-contamination: Foliar metabolic reprogramming and phyllospheric microbiome restructuring
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers simulated rain-deposited co-exposure of maize seedlings to nanoplastics and lead at environmentally relevant concentrations and found that while plant growth was not visibly impaired over 45 days, leaf metabolism shifted toward lipid processing and away from carbon metabolism, and the leaf microbiome restructured toward stress-tolerant microbial taxa.
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.