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Silver Nanoparticles and Wheat Roots: A Complex Interplay
Ana E Pradas Del Real1,2, Vladimir Vidal3, Marie Carrière4,5
1Institut des Sciences de la Terre (ISTerre), Université Grenoble Alpes and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) , 38041 Grenoble, France.
Environmental Science & Technology
|April 27, 2017
Summary
Wheat plants exposed to silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and ionic silver show complex transformations and varied gene expression. Understanding silver
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Plant Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Agricultural soils accumulate silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), posing risks to crops.
- Limited understanding of Ag-NPs' environmental fate, plant uptake, and toxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate silver transformations, distribution, speciation, and phytotoxicity in wheat.
- Compare impacts of metallic Ag-NPs, sulfidized Ag2S-NPs, and ionic silver.
Main Methods:
- Wheat plants exposed to different silver forms (Ag-NPs, Ag2S-NPs, ionic Ag).
- Multi-technique, multi-scale analysis including laboratory and synchrotron methods.
- Assessed Ag distribution, speciation, phytotoxicity markers, and gene expression.
Main Results:
- Observed chemical transformations of silver on wheat epidermis and roots, even for Ag2S-NPs.
- Identified exposure to multiple, evolving silver forms.
- Differential impact on genes related to oxidative stress, pathogen defense, and metal homeostasis based on silver source.
Conclusions:
- Plant exposure to Ag-NPs is complex, involving multiple silver forms.
- Accurate toxicity assessment requires monitoring diverse markers.
- Interpreting toxicity necessitates considering Ag distribution and speciation.
