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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Live Cell Imaging of Microtubule Cytoskeleton and Micromechanical Manipulation of the Arabidopsis Shoot Apical Meristem
Published on: May 23, 2020
Ultra-small TiO(2) nanoparticles disrupt microtubular networks in Arabidopsis thaliana
Songhu Wang1, Jasmina Kurepa, Jan A Smalle
1Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology Program, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA.
Abstract:
In spite of the mounting concerns, current understanding of the extent and mechanisms of phytotoxicity of manufactured nanomaterials remains limited. Here we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana, ultra-small anatase TiO(2) nanoparticles cause reorganization and elimination of microtubules followed by the accelerated and 26S proteasome-dependent degradation of tubulin monomers. Similar to other microtubule-disrupting agents, TiO(2) nanoparticles induce isotropic growth of root cells. Because microtubules are essential for the normal function of all eukaryotic cells, these results reveal a potentially important consequence of environmental pollution by this widely used nanomaterial.
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