Abstract
ABSTRACT Microplastics accumulate during saline‐alkali land improvement from agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and plastic films, forming a composite stress on crop growth. This study investigated the response mechanisms of maize ( Zea mays L.) seedling roots to individual and combined stresses from microplastics and salt. Maize seedlings were exposed to 100 mM NaCl and 50 mg l −1 Polystyrene microplastics. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted to elucidate molecular responses. Salt (NaCl) and microplastics (MPs), both individually and in combination (PNaCl), significantly inhibited root growth and water metabolism. NaCl and PNaCl stresses upregulated phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligase in the phenylpropanoid pathway, promoting the accumulation of phenolic metabolites such as ferulic acid, while MPs stress had the opposite effect. Under NaCl stress, catechol‐O‐methyltransferase expression increased, enhancing caffeic acid conversion and antioxidant capacity. Additionally, NaCl and PNaCl stresses also promoted the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and wax, whereas MPs stress suppressed these genes. Overall, maize roots respond to NaCl and PNaCl stresses by activating phenylpropanoid metabolism, accumulating phenolic compounds, and enhancing the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and wax, thereby improving stress resistance and providing insights into plant adaptation to complex environmental conditions.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Salt inhibited maize root growth and water metabolism.
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Treatment
- Salt (NaCl)e0
- Outcome
- root growth and water metabolisme0
- Direction
- inhibitede0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Salt (NaCl) and microplastics (MPs), both individually and in combination (PNaCl), significantly inhibited root growth and water metabolism.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Microplastics inhibited maize root growth and water metabolism.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Salt (NaCl) and microplastics (MPs), both individually and in combination (PNaCl), significantly inhibited root growth and water metabolism.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined salt and microplastic stress inhibited maize root growth and water metabolism.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Salt (NaCl) and microplastics (MPs), both individually and in combination (PNaCl), significantly inhibited root growth and water metabolism.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and 4-coumaroyl-CoA ligase expression.
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Gene
- phenylalanine ammonia‐lyasee0
- Outcome
- phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligasee0
- Direction
- upregulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl and PNaCl stresses upregulated phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligase in the phenylpropanoid pathway”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined stress increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and 4-coumaroyl-CoA ligase expression.
- Treatment
- PNaCle0
- Gene
- 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligasee0
- Outcome
- phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligasee0
- Direction
- upregulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl and PNaCl stresses upregulated phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligase in the phenylpropanoid pathway”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt promoted phenolic metabolite accumulation.
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- accumulation of phenolic metabolites such as ferulic acide0
- Direction
- promotinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl and PNaCl stresses upregulated phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligase in the phenylpropanoid pathway, promoting the accumulation of phenolic metabolites such as ferulic acid, while MPs stress had the opposite effect.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined stress promoted phenolic metabolite accumulation.
- Treatment
- PNaCle0
- Outcome
- accumulation of phenolic metabolites such as ferulic acide0
- Direction
- promotinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl and PNaCl stresses upregulated phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA ligase in the phenylpropanoid pathway, promoting the accumulation of phenolic metabolites such as ferulic acid, while MPs stress had the opposite effect.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Microplastics had the opposite effect on phenylpropanoid enzyme expression and phenolic accumulation.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while MPs stress had the opposite effect.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt increased catechol-O-methyltransferase expression.
- Treatment
- NaCl stresse0
- Gene
- catechol‐O‐methyltransferasee0
- Outcome
- catechol‐O‐methyltransferase expressione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under NaCl stress, catechol‐O‐methyltransferase expression increased, enhancing caffeic acid conversion and antioxidant capacity.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt enhanced caffeic acid conversion.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under NaCl stress, catechol‐O‐methyltransferase expression increased, enhancing caffeic acid conversion and antioxidant capacity.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt enhanced antioxidant capacity.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under NaCl stress, catechol‐O‐methyltransferase expression increased, enhancing caffeic acid conversion and antioxidant capacity.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt promoted expression of cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthesis genes.
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and waxe0
- Direction
- promotede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl and PNaCl stresses also promoted the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and wax, whereas MPs stress suppressed these genes.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined stress promoted expression of cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthesis genes.
- Treatment
- PNaCle0
- Outcome
- expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and waxe0
- Direction
- promotede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl and PNaCl stresses also promoted the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and wax, whereas MPs stress suppressed these genes.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Microplastics suppressed cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthesis genes.
- Treatment
- MPs stresse0
- Outcome
- genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and waxe0
- Direction
- suppressede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl and PNaCl stresses also promoted the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cutin, suberin, and wax, whereas MPs stress suppressed these genes.”
t0“Maize”
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See all 17 papers →8 of 10 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.