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Published on: October 8, 2014
SPc nanoparticles enhance drought tolerance through modulating plasma membrane aquaporins and improving water
Jia Yang1, Jiachi Wan1, Xingyu Zhong1
1State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Engineering Research Center of Plant Growth Regulator, Ministry of Education & College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
Abstract:
Engineered nanomaterials offer transformative opportunities for improving agricultural adaptation to drought, while environmentally friendly nano-agricultural solutions remain underexplored, and their molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. This study demonstrates that star polycation (SPc) nanoparticles (NPs) enhance plant drought resistance by modulating the aquaporin pathway. The results show that SPc, following root uptake and accumulation in maize (Zea mays) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), significantly promotes root elongation, biomass production, and upregulated the expression of genes encoding aquaporin plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs). Under drought stress, SPc-treated plants exhibit improved survival post-rehydration and higher water content. Physiological analyses revealed that SPc treatment significantly increased both the bleeding sap rate and hydraulic conductivity of roots. At the molecular level, SPc enhances both the transcriptional regulation of PIPs and the protein activity of ZmPIP2;5. Genetic evidence confirmed that the function of ZmPIP2;5 is essential for the full drought tolerance-enhancing effects of SPc. Additionally, microscale thermophoresis and surface plasmon resonance analysis confirmed that SPc directly interacts with Loop E of ZmPIP2;5 (ZmPIP2;5Loop E), a functional domain essential for aquaporin activity. In conclusion, this work provides new evidence that polymeric NPs can confer drought resistance at the physiological, transcriptional, and protein-functional levels by modulating the aquaporin pathway. The positive response of crops to SPc under drought stress underscores its potential as a sustainable agricultural technology.
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