Abstract
Exposure to indium oxide nanoparticles (In 2 O 3 -NPs) presents a critical challenge as an emerging soil contaminant that severely impairs plant growth and metabolic health. In this study, In 2 O 3-NP exposure reduced biomass by 58% in alfalfa, driven by excessive indium (In) accumulation, disrupted mineral (P and Fe) balance, and inhibited photosynthesis. This physiological decline led to a significant depletion of sugars and nitrogen metabolites, particularly in the more sensitive alfalfa model. To mitigate these toxic effects, we utilized cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxa to investigate how species-specific metabolic and physiological responses are shaped in alfalfa (legume) and rye (grass). CP treatment differentially mitigated toxicity by reducing In uptake, maintaining nutrient homeostasis, and restoring photosynthetic efficiency. This resulted in improved biomass, with alfalfa showing the most significant recovery. Mechanistically, CP enhanced sugar and nitrogen metabolism, providing the necessary precursors for the accumulation of protective secondary metabolites, such as phenolics and flavonoids, which reduced oxidative damage. Furthermore, CP induced a structural adaptation through the activation of the phenylpropanoid–lignin biosynthetic pathway. In alfalfa, elevated levels of cinnamic and coumaric acids were linked to increased activities of key enzymes, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR). This resulted in a substantial 243.6% increase in lignin in alfalfa, compared to a 115.1% rise in rye. This study demonstrates that while rye relies on inherent physiological tolerance, alfalfa exhibits superior metabolic plasticity when primed with CP. These findings prove that alfalfa and rye utilize distinct survival strategies at the biochemical level; while rye leverages its natural resilience, alfalfa undergoes a complete metabolic reorganization to rescue its growth and survive nanoparticle stress. • In 2 O 3 -NPs reduce growth by inhibiting photosynthesis and inducing oxidative stress. • CP differentially restores plant growth, mineral homeostasis, and metabolic balance in alfalfa and rye. • CP facilitates metabolic reallocation of carbon and nitrogen, promoting biosynthesis of phenolics and lignin. • Activation of the phenylpropanoid pathway at the enzymatic level drives lignification and cell wall reinforcement. • Alfalfa demonstrates enhanced plasticity, resulting in increased synthesis of antioxidant and cell wall lignin.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle exposure reduced alfalfa biomass by 58%.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- In 2 O 3-NP exposuree0
- Outcome
- biomasse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 58%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In 2 O 3-NP exposure reduced biomass by 58% in alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle exposure caused excessive indium accumulation and disrupted phosphorus and iron balance in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- excessive indium (In) accumulation, disrupted mineral (P and Fe) balancee0
Not reportedTreatmentComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in alfalfa, driven by excessive indium (In) accumulation, disrupted mineral (P and Fe) balance”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle exposure inhibited photosynthesis in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- In 2 O 3-NP exposuree0
- Outcome
- photosynthesise0
- Direction
- inhibitede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In 2 O 3-NP exposure reduced biomass by 58% in alfalfa, driven by excessive indium (In) accumulation, disrupted mineral (P and Fe) balance, and inhibited photosynthesis”
Claim · model-written summary
Sugars and nitrogen metabolites were significantly depleted, particularly in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- sugars and nitrogen metabolitese0
- Direction
- depletione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“significant depletion of sugars and nitrogen metabolites, particularly in the more sensitive alfalfa model”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming with Anabaena laxa reduced indium uptake in alfalfa and rye.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxae0
- Interactor
- Anabaena laxaAnabaena laxae0symbiont
- Outcome
- In uptakee1
- Direction
- reducinge1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxa”
e1“CP treatment differentially mitigated toxicity by reducing In uptake”
e2“alfalfa (legume) and rye (grass)”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming maintained nutrient homeostasis in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxae2
- Interactor
- Anabaena laxaAnabaena laxae2symbiont
- Outcome
- nutrient homeostasise0
- Direction
- maintaininge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“CP treatment differentially mitigated toxicity by reducing In uptake, maintaining nutrient homeostasis, and restoring photosynthetic efficiency”
e1“alfalfa (legume) and rye (grass)”
e2“cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxa”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming restored photosynthetic efficiency in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxae2
- Interactor
- Anabaena laxaAnabaena laxae2symbiont
- Outcome
- photosynthetic efficiencye0
- Direction
- restoringe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“restoring photosynthetic efficiency”
e1“alfalfa (legume) and rye (grass)”
e2“cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxa”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming improved biomass, with alfalfa showing the most significant recovery.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxae1
- Interactor
- Anabaena laxaAnabaena laxae1symbiont
- Outcome
- biomasse0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This resulted in improved biomass, with alfalfa showing the most significant recovery”
e1“cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxa”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming enhanced sugar and nitrogen metabolism, supplying precursors for protective secondary metabolites.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Outcome
- accumulation of protective secondary metabolitese0
- Qualifier
- sugar and nitrogen metabolisme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“CP enhanced sugar and nitrogen metabolism, providing the necessary precursors for the accumulation of protective secondary metabolites, such as phenolics and flavonoids”
e1“alfalfa (legume) and rye (grass)”
Claim · model-written summary
Protective secondary metabolites reduced oxidative damage under priming.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Compound
- phenolics and flavonoidse0
- Outcome
- oxidative damagee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“protective secondary metabolites, such as phenolics and flavonoids, which reduced oxidative damage”
e1“alfalfa (legume) and rye (grass)”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming activated the phenylpropanoid–lignin biosynthetic pathway.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Outcome
- activation of the phenylpropanoid–lignin biosynthetic pathwaye0
- Qualifier
- structural adaptatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“CP induced a structural adaptation through the activation of the phenylpropanoid–lignin biosynthetic pathway”
e1“alfalfa (legume) and rye (grass)”
Claim · model-written summary
In alfalfa, elevated cinnamic and coumaric acids were linked to increased PAL, COMT, CAD, and CCR activity.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Gene
- phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR)e0
- Compound
- cinnamic and coumaric acidse0
- Outcome
- activities of key enzymese0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In alfalfa, elevated levels of cinnamic and coumaric acids were linked to increased activities of key enzymes, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR)”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming increased lignin in alfalfa by 243.6%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxae1
- Interactor
- Anabaena laxaAnabaena laxae1symbiont
- Outcome
- lignine0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 243.6%e0
- Comparator
- ryee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“243.6% increase in lignin in alfalfa, compared to a 115.1% rise in rye”
e1“cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxa”
Claim · model-written summary
Priming increased lignin in rye by 115.1%.
- Taxon
- rye
Secale cerealee0 - Treatment
- cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxae1
- Interactor
- Anabaena laxaAnabaena laxae1symbiont
- Outcome
- lignine0
- Direction
- risee0
- Value
- 115.1%e0
- Comparator
- alfalfae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“243.6% increase in lignin in alfalfa, compared to a 115.1% rise in rye”
e1“cyanobacterial priming (CP) with Anabaena laxa”
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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.