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Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) enhances leaf potassium content and promotes trehalose accumulation through the auxin signaling pathway to cope with PET nanoplastic stress
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Scientists found that foxtail millet, a hardy grain crop, can defend itself against tiny plastic particle pollution (nanoplastics) by boosting potassium levels in its leaves, which triggers the plant to produce a protective sugar called trehalose. This matters because as plastic pollution increasingly contaminates soil and water, understanding how crops naturally cope with it could help researchers breed tougher, more resilient food crops for the future. While this study focuses on plant biology rather than direct human health effects, it's an early step toward protecting our food supply from the growing problem of plastic contamination in agriculture.
Foxtail millet, a C4 crop, exhibits high tolerance to abiotic stress. Our preliminary studies demonstrated that foxtail millet alleviates polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanoplastic-induced oxidative stress by increasing leaf potassium (K⁺) content and promoting trehalose accumulation. In this study, exogenous application assays confirmed that elevated K⁺ levels drive trehalose biosynthesis, rather than the converse. Phytohormone analysis revealed significant changes in hormone levels, including auxin (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), and 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA), after exposure to PET nanoplastics, indicating their important roles in regulating plant responses to nanoplastic treatment. Mechanistic validation showed that auxin mitigates PET-triggered oxidative damage through dual pathways: transcriptional activation of potassium channel proteins and enhancement of trehalose-metabolizing enzyme activities, collectively elevating intracellular trehalose concentrations. Consistent with these findings, pretreatment with PET nanoplastics conferred cross-tolerance to salt stress in foxtail millet seedlings. Together, these results establish a novel molecular framework linking nanoplastic sensing to adaptive nutrient signaling, highlighting key regulatory nodes for engineering stress-resilient crops amid escalating environmental contamination. This study provides critical insights into sustainable agricultural strategies confronting combined plastic pollution and climate extremes.
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Polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics affect potassium accumulation in foxtail millet (Setaria italica) seedlings
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Researchers examined how polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nano- and microplastics affect potassium uptake in foxtail millet seedlings. While PET exposure did not significantly harm germination or growth, it increased reactive oxygen species levels and triggered the upregulation of potassium transport genes, leading to higher potassium accumulation in leaves and a compensatory antioxidant response.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Role of Trehalose in Response to Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanoplastics Treatment in Foxtail Millet ( Setaria italica ) Seedlings
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This transcriptome study of foxtail millet seedlings exposed to PET nanoplastics found that trehalose metabolism played a protective role — upregulating trehalose synthesis genes reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation — offering a potential genetic target for developing nanoplastic-tolerant crops.
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