Alleviation of Nanoplastic Stress in Rice: Evidence from Biochemical, Cytological, Physiological, and Transcriptome...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Agronomy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nanoplastic (NP) pollution is a growing threat to terrestrial ecosystems, impacting crop health and agricultural productivity.
• Understanding crop responses to NP and developing effective mitigation strategies are crucial for sustainable agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the tolerance of two rice cultivars (S18 and MeiXiangZhan) to nanoplastic stress.
• To evaluate the efficacy of MoO3 nanoparticles (nMo) in alleviating nanoplastic-induced stress in rice.
• To explore the underlying mechanisms of NP tolerance and mitigation in rice.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of two rice cultivars (S18 and MeiXiangZhan) under nanoplastic exposure.
• Application of MoO3 nanoparticles (nMo) to assess their mitigating effects on nanoplastic stress.
• Microscopic analysis (SEM, TEM) to observe cellular structures and NP-nMo interactions.
• Physiological and biochemical assays to measure plant health indicators (pigments, enzymes, oxidative stress markers).
• RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze gene expression changes and identify key pathways.

Main Results:

• MoO3 nanoparticles (nMo) demonstrated heteroaggregation with nanoplastics (NP), reducing NP-induced physiological damage.
• Rice cultivar S18 exhibited superior cellular protection and maintained better physiological homeostasis compared to MXZ under NP stress.
• nMo treatment significantly decreased H2O2 and MDA content by 9% and 19% respectively, compared to NP treatment alone.
• RNA-seq analysis revealed that nMo and S18 activated signal transduction and resistance-related genes, including higher PRX44 expression in S18.

Conclusions:

• MoO3 nanoparticles (nMo) are effective in mitigating nanoplastic (NP) stress in rice, with cultivar S18 showing enhanced tolerance.
• The study provides insights into NP-plant interactions and highlights the potential of nMo for managing NP pollution in agricultural settings.
• Cost-effective and environmentally favorable solutions like nMo can enhance crop resilience and contribute to agricultural sustainability.