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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Size-dependent effects of nanoplastics on structure and function of superoxide dismutase
ClearStudy on the binding of polystyrene microplastics with superoxide dismutase at the molecular level by multi-spectroscopy methods
Researchers used multiple spectroscopy methods to study how polystyrene microplastics interact with the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) at the molecular level. The study found that microplastics altered SOD's protein structure, forming larger complexes and increasing the enzyme's activity in a concentration-dependent manner, providing insights into how microplastics may affect biological antioxidant systems.
Probing the molecular mechanism of interaction between polystyrene nanoplastics and catalase by multispectroscopic techniques
Researchers investigated the molecular mechanism of interaction between polystyrene nanoplastics and the antioxidant enzyme catalase using multispectroscopic techniques, revealing how nanoplastic accumulation may disrupt enzymatic function and contribute to oxidative stress.
Spectroscopic investigations on the interaction between nano plastic and catalase on molecular level
Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with the enzyme catalase at different pH levels, finding that nanoplastics alter the protein's secondary structure and reduce its enzymatic activity through static quenching and hydrophobic binding mechanisms.
Nanoplastics can change the secondary structure of proteins
Researchers found that nanoplastic particles interact directly with proteins and fundamentally alter their secondary structure, effectively denaturing them in a manner that could cause cellular and ecological damage. The study presents the first direct evidence that plastic-protein interactions represent a distinct and potentially serious biological hazard beyond the previously studied effects of microplastic ingestion.
Molecular mechanisms of polystyrene nanoplastics and alpha-amylase interactions and their binding model: A multidimensional analysis
This study investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics bind to alpha-amylase, an important digestive enzyme that breaks down starches. The nanoplastics attached to the enzyme, changed its shape, and reduced its activity, potentially interfering with normal digestion. If nanoplastics consumed through food and water impair digestive enzymes in a similar way inside the human body, it could affect how well we break down and absorb nutrients from our meals.
Enhanced binding of triclocarban to catalase induced by coexisting nanoplastics
Researchers showed that polystyrene nanoplastics worsen the binding of the antimicrobial compound triclocarban to the antioxidant enzyme catalase by forming a protein corona on the nanoplastic surface and distorting the enzyme's 3D structure, leading to greater-than-expected overactivation of catalase activity and heightened oxidative stress compared to triclocarban exposure alone.
Interfacial interactions between PMMA nanoplastics and a model globular protein: towards a molecular understanding of nanoplastic-driven biological dyshomeostasis
Researchers investigated the molecular interactions between PMMA nanoplastics and a model globular protein to understand how nanoplastics disrupt normal protein function. They found that PMMA nanoplastics bind to and alter the structural conformation of the protein, potentially contributing to cellular protein dysfunction.
Nanoplastics composite norfloxacin induced changes in conformation and function of lysozyme and differential effects of co-exposure contamination
Researchers used spectroscopy and molecular docking to show that nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin form stable co-aggregates that bind near the active site of lysozyme, reducing its enzymatic activity by nearly 40% and altering the protein's secondary structure more severely than either contaminant alone.
Characterizing the binding interactions between virgin/aged microplastics and catalase in vitro
Researchers compared how virgin and UV-aged PVC microplastics interact with the antioxidant enzyme catalase in laboratory conditions. The study found that aged microplastics had more binding sites and caused greater structural changes to the enzyme, including loosening of protein chains, though neither form affected the enzyme's core activity since the particles were too large to enter the enzyme's interior.
Assessment of polystyrene nano plastics effect on human salivary α-amylase structural alteration: Insights from an in vitro and in silico study
Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with human salivary alpha-amylase, a key digestive enzyme, using both laboratory experiments and computer modeling. They found that the nanoplastics competitively inhibited the enzyme and caused structural changes including loss of secondary protein structure. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure in the digestive system may interfere with normal enzyme function, raising concerns about potential impacts on human digestion.
Assessment of Nanoplastic-Induced Disruption in CellularGlutathione Metabolism Using a Bubble-Assisted Photothermal CaptureSERS Sensor
Using a new analytical approach to simultaneously measure cellular glutathione and its oxidized form, researchers found that both fresh and aged nanoplastics disrupt cellular redox homeostasis, with aged particles showing altered surface properties that affect the severity of oxidative stress.
Mechanistic Insights into Cellular and Molecular Basis of Protein‐Nanoplastic Interactions
This review examines how nanoplastic particles interact with proteins at the cellular and molecular level, disrupting normal protein function and triggering oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cell death. Researchers found that nanoplastics alter the structural shape of important proteins, which helps explain their toxic effects on living organisms. The study also covers how understanding these protein-plastic interactions could inform both toxicity assessment and potential enzymatic plastic degradation strategies.
Effects of functionalized nanoplastics on oxidative stress in the mussel Mytilus coruscus
Researchers exposed mussels to three types of nanoplastics with different surface modifications and found that amino-modified particles were the most toxic, strongly inhibiting key antioxidant enzymes in gill and mantle tissues. Different surface chemistries triggered distinct patterns of oxidative stress across tissues, with gills being the most sensitive organ. The study highlights that how nanoplastics are modified by environmental weathering can significantly change their toxicity to marine organisms.
Multispectroscopy analysis of polystyrene nanoplastic interaction with diastase α-amylase
Researchers used fluorescence spectroscopy and other analytical techniques to characterize how polystyrene nanoplastics bind to and alter the structure of alpha-amylase, a key digestive enzyme, suggesting nanoplastic exposure could potentially disrupt starch digestion.
Nanoplastics alter the conformation and activity of human serum albumin
Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with human serum albumin, a key blood protein, and found that nanoplastics bind to the protein through hydrophobic forces, altering its structure and reducing its enzymatic activity. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure could interfere with normal protein function in the bloodstream, highlighting the need for regulation of nanoplastics in consumer products.
Intrinsic Peroxidase-like Activity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics Mediates Oxidative Stress
Scientists discovered that polystyrene nanoplastics have a built-in enzyme-like ability to generate harmful reactive oxygen species, similar to how the body's own peroxidase enzymes work. This activity increased with the nanoplastics' size and aromatic chemical structure. The finding provides a new explanation for why nanoplastics cause oxidative stress in living things, which is a key mechanism behind potential health damage from plastic particle exposure.
The Immunotoxic Effects of Environmentally Relevant Micro- and Nanoplastics
Researchers characterized the immunotoxic effects of over 20 types of micro- and nanoplastic particles on macrophages and dendritic cells, finding that physicochemical properties such as size, shape, polymer type, and surface oxidation strongly influence immune cell responses.
Structural parameters of nanoparticles affecting their toxicity for biomedical applications: a review
Researchers reviewed how the physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles — including size, shape, surface charge, and material type — influence their toxicity in living cells and tissues, with relevance to both medical applications and environmental exposures like nanoplastics. Smaller particles are generally more toxic because they have greater surface area and can more easily penetrate cell membranes and trigger oxidative stress.
Polystyrene nanoplastics affect the human ubiquitin structure and ubiquitination in cells: a high-resolution study
Using NMR and TEM analyses, polystyrene nanoplastics were shown to form a hard protein corona with human ubiquitin and to impair ubiquitination in HeLa cells, revealing a potential mechanism by which nanoplastic exposure disrupts protein degradation pathways in human cells.
Unveiling the Modification of Esterase-like Activity of Serum Albumin by Nanoplastics and Their Cocontaminants
Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface charges and sizes affect the enzymatic activity of human serum albumin, a key blood protein. The study found that amino-modified and smaller nanoplastics had the greatest impact on protein structure and inhibited its ability to metabolize compounds, while the presence of the drug metformin reduced nanoplastic binding to the protein. These findings suggest that nanoplastics could interfere with normal protein function in the bloodstream and that co-exposure with other chemicals may alter how nanoplastics are transported in the body.