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Response strategies of stem/leaves endophyte communities to nano-plastics regulate growth performance of submerged macrophytes.
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Nano-polystyrene exposure changed the composition and activity of endophytic bacterial communities in the stems and leaves of aquatic macrophytes, with some endophyte shifts helping plants maintain growth by modulating stress responses, revealing a microbiome-mediated tolerance mechanism.
Research on the toxicity effects of nano-plastics on submerged macrophytes has been increasing over the past several years. However, how the endophytic bacteria of submerged macrophytes respond to nano-plastics remains unknown, although they have been widely shown to help terrestrial plants cope with various environmental stressors. Here, a microcosm experiment was performed to unravel the effects of high concentration of nano-plastics (20 mg/L) on three submerged macrophyte (Vallisneria natans, Potamogeton maackianus, Myriophyllum spicatum) and their endophytic bacterial communities. Results indicated that nano-plastics induced antioxidative stress in plants, but significantly reduction in relative growth rate (RGR) only occurred in V. natans (from 0.0034 to -0.0029 day), accompanied by change in the stem/leaves endophyte community composition. Further analysis suggested nano-plastics caused a reduction in environmental nutrient availability and the proportion of positive interactions between endophyte communities (43%), resulting in the lowest RGR of V. natans. In contrast, endophytes may help P. maackianus and M. spicatum cope with nano-plastic stress by increasing the proportion of positive correlations among communities (70% and 75%), leaving their RGR unaffected. Collectively, our study elucidates the species-specific response strategies of submerged macrophyte-endophyte to nano-plastics, which helps to reveal the different phytoremediation potential of submerged macrophytes against nano-plastic pollution.
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Researchers exposed the submerged aquatic plant Vallisneria natans to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics and observed increased antioxidant enzyme activity and cellular organelle damage. The microplastics also altered the microbial community composition on leaf biofilms. The findings indicate that even moderate microplastic concentrations can disrupt plant defense mechanisms and shift the microbial ecology of aquatic environments.
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Scientists found that microplastic pollution affects underwater plants differently depending on how much is present: small amounts actually helped a water plant grow better, while larger amounts damaged its cells and hurt its ability to filter nutrients from water. This matters because these plants play a key role in keeping lakes, rivers, and coastal waters clean — and as microplastic pollution increases in salty and brackish waters worldwide, this research suggests it could weaken the natural water-filtering systems we rely on for healthy aquatic ecosystems and, ultimately, cleaner water supplies.
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Researchers conducted a mesocosm experiment to test how nanoplastics affect bacterial and algal communities in aquatic ecosystems with submerged plants. They found that bacterial communities were significantly more sensitive to nanoplastic exposure than algal communities, with notable shifts in bacterial composition and function. The study reveals that different groups of microorganisms in natural water environments respond very differently to nanoplastic contamination.
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Researchers exposed the aquatic macrophyte Phragmites australis to polystyrene nano/microplastics and found that the plant adjusted its growth-defense tradeoff via hormone signaling and carbohydrate metabolism in a dose-dependent manner. Higher exposure levels shifted the plant toward defense at the cost of growth.
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