We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics and Tributyl Phosphate to Rye under Freeze–Thaw Cycles: Implications for Crop Safety and Mechanistic Insights from Transcriptome and Root Microbiome
Summary
Researchers exposed rye to combined polystyrene nanoplastics and the plasticizer tributyl phosphate under simulated freeze-thaw cycles, finding that cold cycling intensifies oxidative stress and photosynthesis suppression by promoting physicochemical complex formation between pollutants, restructuring root endophytic microbiomes, and activating jasmonic acid and abscisic acid defense signaling pathways.
Climate-driven freeze-thaw (FT) cycles amplify the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS) and tributyl phosphate (TBP) in crops. TBP is a common plasticizer. Our multiomics study reveals that PS and TBP form complexes via van der Waals forces, enhancing PS uptake in rye roots. Coexposure induces severe oxidative stress (H2O2: 1.35-, 4.71-fold → 9.04-fold), suppresses photosynthesis, and activates antioxidant defenses, with FT conditions intensifying these effects. TBP restructures the root endophytic microbiome, enriching TBP-degrading bacteria (Acidovorax, Massilia). Transcriptomic analysis identifies jasmonic and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways as central coordinators of plant defense through reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and metabolic reprogramming. These findings demonstrate that FT cycles exacerbate NPs-plasticizer toxicity through three interconnected mechanisms: physicochemical complex formation, root microbiome remodeling, and hormonal signaling crosstalk. The study provides crucial mechanistic insights for assessing climate-pollution risks in cold-region agriculture, highlighting the need to consider pollutant interactions under dynamic environmental conditions.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Metabolomic insights into the synergistic effects of nanoplastics and freeze-thaw cycles on Secale cereale L. seedling physiology
Researchers exposed rye seedlings simultaneously to polystyrene nanoplastics and simulated freeze-thaw cycles, finding that the combination amplified oxidative stress, inhibited photosynthesis, and disrupted core metabolic pathways — including the TCA cycle and lipid metabolism — more severely than either stressor alone.
Integrated multi-omics reveals rye seedling responses to nanoplastic and freeze-thaw stress
Researchers used an integrated multi-omics approach to study how rye seedlings respond to the combined stress of polystyrene nanoplastics and freeze-thaw cycles. The study found that the combination produced the strongest physiological stress responses, including elevated oxidative damage markers and significant shifts in root microbial communities, with transcriptomic analysis revealing over 6,000 differentially expressed genes related to oxidative stress and energy metabolism.
Freeze–Thaw Cycles Accelerate Plastic Pollution Invasion in Agriculture: Trojan Horse Effect of Microplastic–Plasticizer Contamination Revealed in Rye via Computational Chemistry and Multiomics
Researchers found that climate change-related freeze-thaw cycles significantly worsen the combined toxicity of the plasticizer DEP and microplastics in rye plants. Freeze-thaw conditions increased microplastic uptake into plants by altering particle surface charge, while DEP bound to key plant proteins and inhibited photosynthesis. The study reveals that microplastics simultaneously acted as carriers for the plasticizer while reshaping root microbiomes to favor pollutant-degrading bacteria.
The freeze-thaw cycle exacerbates the ecotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to Secale cereale L. seedlings
Researchers exposed rye seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics followed by repeated freeze-thaw cycles (simulating cold climate conditions), finding that temperature cycling significantly increased nanoplastic accumulation within plant tissues, damaged chloroplasts, inhibited photosynthesis, and amplified oxidative stress beyond the effects of nanoplastics or freeze-thaw stress alone.
Freeze–ThawCycles Accelerate Plastic PollutionInvasion in Agriculture: Trojan Horse Effect of Microplastic–PlasticizerContamination Revealed in Rye via Computational Chemistry and Multiomics
Using hydroponic rye as a model, researchers showed that freeze-thaw cycles dramatically increased diethyl phthalate uptake into plants in the presence of microplastics, with the plasticizer boosting microplastic surface charge and facilitating plant entry. Transcriptomic and computational analyses revealed disruption of gene networks governing growth and stress response.