We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Enhanced Macrophage Internalization of Photoaged Nanoplastics Mediated by Altered Serum Albumin Secondary Structure
Summary
Researchers found that nanoplastics exposed to sunlight in water undergo surface changes that alter how they interact with blood proteins, specifically human serum albumin. The aged nanoplastics caused the protein to unfold and change its structure, which in turn made immune cells take up the plastic particles more readily. The study suggests that environmental aging of nanoplastics could increase their biological activity and potential health effects once they enter the body.
After nanoplastics (NPs) experience photoaging in an aquatic environment, they may enter blood circulation of organisms and interact with proteins, which significantly affect their cellular uptake and biological effects. In this study, polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) and human serum albumin (HSA) were chosen as representative models of NPs and proteins, respectively. The photoaged PSNPs exhibited decreased particle size and increased surface oxidation, which not only promoted their binding with HSA but also led to preferential binding with the α-helix regions of HSA. Consequently, the α-helical content of the adsorbed HSA molecules on photoaged PSNPs decreased significantly, leading to a denaturation effect comparable to thermal treatment. Dissolved substances released from PSNPs had a negligible impact on HSA's conformation. The denatured HSA activated additional endocytic pathways, notably enhancing SR-A1-mediated endocytosis of mouse monocyte macrophages (RAW 264.7), which thus promoted the cellular uptake of the photoaged PSNPs compared with pristine ones. This study suggests that photoaging may greatly alter the interactions of NPs with proteins, thereby influencing cellular uptake mechanisms, and then alter their potential biodistribution and biological effects in vivo.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Enhanced MacrophageInternalization of Photoaged NanoplasticsMediated by Altered Serum Albumin Secondary Structure
Researchers found that photoaging of polystyrene nanoplastics in aquatic environments causes them to bind human serum albumin more avidly, and that this protein corona on photoaged NPs enhanced their internalization by macrophages compared to unaged particles.
Aging of Nanoplastics Significantly Affects Protein Corona Composition Thus Enhancing Macrophage Uptake
Researchers found that when nanoplastics age in the environment through sun exposure, they form a different coating of proteins when they enter the human body compared to fresh nanoplastics. This altered protein coating caused lung immune cells to absorb the aged nanoplastics more readily than new ones. The findings suggest that real-world nanoplastics, which are mostly sun-weathered, may be taken up by the body more aggressively than the fresh particles typically used in lab studies.
Aging Processes Dramatically Alter the Protein Corona Constitution, Cellular Internalization, and Cytotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics
Researchers found that aging processes such as UV and ozone exposure dramatically alter how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with blood plasma proteins, form protein coronas, and enter cells. The study suggests that environmentally aged nanoplastics may have different biological effects than pristine particles, which has important implications for accurately assessing the health risks of real-world nanoplastic exposure.
Bovine Serum Albumin Bends Over Backward to Interact with Aged Plastics: A Model for Understanding Protein Attachment to Plastic Debris
Scientists studied how proteins attach to plastic debris at different stages of sun-induced aging and found that weathered plastics attract significantly more protein binding and bacterial biofilm formation. The proteins physically reshape themselves to accommodate changes in the plastic's surface as it degrades. This matters because microplastics coated with biological material can more easily carry harmful bacteria and toxins through water systems and potentially into the human food chain.
Effects of photoaged polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics on the extracellular aggregation and intracellular accumulation of ZnO nanoparticles to algae
When microplastics weather in the environment under UV sunlight, they become more chemically reactive and change how they interact with other pollutants. This study found that photoaged polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics had a stronger ability to bind zinc oxide nanoparticles than fresh plastic, and that this enhanced binding altered how the zinc nanoparticles affected green algae — generally reducing zinc uptake into algal cells but increasing overall ecological risk. The findings highlight that the environmental "aging" of microplastics is not merely cosmetic — it fundamentally changes their behavior as carriers of other toxic substances in aquatic ecosystems.