Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) on seed germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Transcriptome mechanisms underlying interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics and wheat Triticum aestivum L.

“…To identify functional modules in a co-expression network, the module-trait relationships between modules agronomic traits were calculated, and the correlated modules with statistical signi cance (p £ 0.05) and Pearson's correlation coe cient (r ³ 0.5) were retained for further analysis. In detail, the impact of PSNPs on agronomic characteristics (SPAD, Pn, Gs, Tr), mineral nutrients (Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Mg), and metabolites of wheat seedlings were clearly illustrated in our previous work 27 . Hub genes within the functional modules were identi ed topologically by calculating intra-modular connectivity.…”

“…On the other hand, the PSNPs-induced activation in carbon metabolism might also play a crucial role in wheat growth (Table 1). In our recent study, the metabolic analysis showed that exposure to PSNPs signi cantly regulated galactose metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, TCA cycle, as well as starch and sucrose metabolism, collectively leading to an increase in biomass 27 . Consistent with our results, carbon metabolism including fatty acid metabolism and dicarboxylate metabolism was the top KEGG metabolic pathway performed on all DEGs in rice 30 .…”

“…Polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) were purchased from Huge Biotechnology Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). Morphology, particle size, composition corroboration, Zeta potential, and hydrodynamic diameter of PSNPs had been previously characterized and described in our early-stage work 27 . Brie y, the PSNPs resemble spheres with smooth surface morphology.…”

“…Owing to the limitation of detection techniques and complex plant barriers, MPs were once considered unable to enter the plant and it was also doubtful whether plants could absorb NPs 24,25 . Until recently, the plant uptake of NPs has been con rmed through multiple advanced methods including the combined application of uorescent labeling and electron microscopy, as well as the innovative synthesis of palladium-doped NPs 26,27,28 . Accumulation of MPs/NPs in plants might induce phytotoxicity and an active defense reaction, raise the food safety concerns and pose the ecological risk 29 .…”

“…For example, exposure to NPs could inhibit growth or mediate oxidative damage in rice 30,31 , Vicia faba 32 , ryegrass 33 , spring onion 34 , and Arabidopsis thaliana 35 . Inversely, our previous studies showed that PSNPs had low phototoxicity and could dramatically enhance the growth performance of wheat when exposed to ambient concentrations 27 . In most cases, the effects produced by nanomaterials are unpredictable and largely inconsistent in different studies, which relied on many factors such as particle size, exposure time, concentration, plant species, and growth medium 36 .…”