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Pietrini F, Wyrwicka-Drewniak A, Passatore L, Nogués I, Zacchini M, Donati E. PFOA accumulation in the leaves of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and its effects on plant growth, oxidative status, and photosynthetic performance. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:556. [PMID: 38877484 PMCID: PMC11177490 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05269-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging contaminants of increasing concern due to their presence in the environment, with potential impacts on ecosystems and human health. These substances are considered "forever chemicals" due to their recalcitrance to degradation, and their accumulation in living organisms can lead to varying levels of toxicity based on the compound and species analysed. Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the possible transfer of PFASs to humans through the consumption of edible parts of food plants. In this regard, to evaluate the potential toxic effects and the accumulation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in edible plants, a pot experiment in greenhouse using three-week-old basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) plants was performed adding PFOA to growth substrate to reach 0.1, 1, and 10 mg Kg- 1 dw. RESULTS After three weeks of cultivation, plants grown in PFOA-added substrate accumulated PFOA at different levels, but did not display significant differences from the control group in terms of biomass production, lipid peroxidation levels (TBARS), content of α-tocopherol and activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and guaiacol peroxidase (POX) in the leaves. A reduction of total phenolic content (TPC) was instead observed in relation to the increase of PFOA content in the substrate. Furthermore, chlorophyll content and photochemical reflectance index (PRI) did not change in plants exposed to PFAS in comparison to control ones. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis revealed an initial, rapid photoprotective mechanism triggered by PFOA exposure, with no impact on other parameters (Fv/Fm, ΦPSII and qP). Higher activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) in plants treated with 1 and 10 mg Kg- 1 PFOA dw (30 and 50% to control, respectively) paralleled the accumulation of PFOA in the leaves of plants exposed to different PFOA concentration in the substrate (51.8 and 413.9 ng g- 1 dw, respectively). CONCLUSION Despite of the absorption and accumulation of discrete amount of PFOA in the basil plants, the analysed parameters at biometric, physiological and biochemical level in the leaves did not reveal any damage effect, possibly due to the activation of a detoxification pathway likely involving GST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Pietrini
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, 00015, Italy
| | - Anna Wyrwicka-Drewniak
- Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Lodz, ul. Banacha 12/16, Lodz, 90-237, Poland
| | - Laura Passatore
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, 00015, Italy
| | - Isabel Nogués
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, 00015, Italy
| | - Massimo Zacchini
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, 00015, Italy.
| | - Enrica Donati
- Institute for Biological Systems (ISB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, 00015, Italy
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Wang G, Sun J, Li L, Li J, Li P. Perfluorobutanoic acid triggers metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming in wheat seedlings. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172343. [PMID: 38608890 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The environmental risks of fluorinated alternatives are of great concern with the phasing out of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate. Here, multi-omics (i.e., metabolomics and transcriptomics) coupled with physiological and biochemical analyses were employed to investigate the stress responses of wheat seedings (Triticum aestivum L.) to perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), one of the short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and PFOA alternatives, at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1-100 ng/g). After 28 days of soil exposure, PFBA boosted the generation of OH and O2- in wheat seedlings, resulting in lipid peroxidation, protein perturbation and impaired photosynthesis. Non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems (e.g., glutathione, phenolics, and vitamin C) and enzymatic antioxidant copper/zinc superoxide dismutase were strikingly activated (p < 0.05). PFBA-triggered oxidative stress induced metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming, including carbon and nitrogen metabolisms, lipid metabolisms, immune responses, signal transduction processes, and antioxidant defense-related pathways. Down-regulation of genes related to plant-pathogen interaction suggested suppression of the immune-response, offering a novel understanding on the production of reactive oxygen species in plants under the exposure to PFAS. The identified MAPK signaling pathway illuminated a novel signal transduction mechanism in plant cells in response to PFAS. These findings provide comprehensive understandings on the phytotoxicity of PFBA to wheat seedlings and new insights into the impacts of PFAS on plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guotian Wang
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; YATAI Construction Science & Technology Consulting Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100120, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Lei Li
- Institute of Watershed and Ecology, Beijing Water Science and Technology Institute, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Jiuyi Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Pengyang Li
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China.
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Agathokleous E, Blande JD, Masui N, Calabrese EJ, Zhang J, Sicard P, Guedes RNC, Benelli G. Sublethal chemical stimulation of arthropod parasitoids and parasites of agricultural and environmental importance. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:116876. [PMID: 37573021 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
An increasing number of studies have reported stimulation of various organisms in the presence of environmental contaminants. This has created a need to critically evaluate sublethal stimulation and hormetic responses of arthropod parasitoids and parasites following exposure to pesticides and other contaminants. Examining this phenomenon with a focus on arthropods of agricultural and environmental importance serves as the framework for this literature review. This review shows that several pesticides, with diverse chemical structures and different modes of action, applied individually or in combination at sublethal doses, commonly stimulate an array of arthropod parasitoids and parasites. Exposure at sublethal doses can enhance responses related to physiology (e.g., respiration, total lipid content, and total protein content), behavior (e.g., locomotor activity, antennal drumming frequency, host location, and parasitization), and fitness (longevity, growth, fecundity, population net and gross reproduction). Concordantly, the parasitic potential (e.g., infestation efficacy, parasitization rate, and parasitoid/parasite emergence) can be increased, and as a result host activities inhibited. There is some evidence illustrating hormetic dose-responses, but the relevant literature commonly included a limited number and range of doses, precluding a robust differentiation between sub- and superNOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect level) stimulation. These results reveal a potentially significant threat to ecological health, through stimulation of harmful parasitic organisms by environmental contaminants, and highlight the need to include sublethal stimulation and hormetic responses in relevant ecological pesticide risk assessments. Curiously, considering a more utilitarian view, hormesis may also assist in optimizing mass rearing of biological control agents for field use, a possibility that also remains neglected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenios Agathokleous
- Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters (CIC-FEMD), Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, Jiangsu, China; Research Center for Global Changes and Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration & Mitigation, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, Jiangsu, China.
| | - James D Blande
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P. O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Noboru Masui
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 4228526, Japan
| | - Edward J Calabrese
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Morrill I, N344, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Ecological Technology and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, PR China
| | | | - Raul Narciso C Guedes
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via Del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
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Karamat A, Tehrani R, Foster GD, Van Aken B. Plant responses to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): a molecular perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION 2023; 26:219-227. [PMID: 37462666 DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2023.2232874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a large class of toxic manmade compounds that have been used in many industrial and household products. Dispersion of PFAS in the environment has raised concerns because of their persistence and toxicity for living organisms. Both terrestrial and aquatic plants have been shown to take up PFAS from contaminated soil and groundwater, and to accumulate these compounds inside their tissues. Although PFAS generally exert a low toxicity on plants at environmentally relevant concentrations, they frequently impact biomass growth and photosynthetic activity at higher levels. Uptake, translocation, and toxicity of PFAS in plants have been well covered in literature. Although less attention has been given to the molecular mechanisms underlying the plant response to PFAS, recent studies based on -omics approaches indicate that PFAS affects the plant metabolism even a low concentration. The objective of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about the effects of PFAS on plants at the molecular level. Results from recent transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studies show that low levels of PFAS induce oxidative stress and affect multiple plant functions and processes, including photosynthesis and energy metabolism. These potentially harmful effects trigger activation of defense mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Karamat
- Environmental Science & Policies, George Mason University, Fairfax, United States
| | - Rouzbeh Tehrani
- Civil & Environmental Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Gregory D Foster
- Chemistry & Biochemistry, George Mason University, Fairfax, United States
| | - Benoit Van Aken
- Chemistry & Biochemistry, George Mason University, Fairfax, United States
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Agathokleous E, Sonne C, Benelli G, Calabrese EJ, Guedes RNC. Low-dose chemical stimulation and pest resistance threaten global crop production. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:162989. [PMID: 36948307 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Pesticide resistance increases and threatens crop production sustainability. Chemical contamination contributes to the development of pest resistance to pesticides, in part by causing stimulatory effects on pests at low sub-toxic doses and facilitating the spread of resistance genes. This article discusses hormesis and low-dose biological stimulation and their relevance to crop pest resistance. It highlights that a holistic approach is needed to tackle pest resistance to pesticides and reduce imbalance in accessing food and improving food security in accordance with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Among others, the effects of sub-toxic doses of pesticides should be considered when assessing the impact of synthetic and natural pesticides, while the promotion of alternative agronomical practices is needed to decrease the use of agrochemicals. Potential alternative solutions include camo-cropping, exogenous application of phytochemicals that are pest-suppressing or -repelling and/or attractive to carnivorous arthropods and other pest natural enemies, and nano-technological innovations. Moreover, to facilitate tackling of pesticide resistance in poorer countries, less technology-demanding and low-cost practices are needed. These include mixed cropping systems, diversification of cultures, use of 'push-pull cropping', incorporation of flower strips into cultivations, modification of microenvironment, and application of beneficial microorganisms and insects. However, there are still numerous open questions, and more research is needed to address the ecological and environmental effects of many of these potential solutions, with special reference to trophic webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenios Agathokleous
- Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters (CIC-FEMD), Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, Jiangsu, China; Research Center for Global Changes and Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration & Mitigation, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Arctic Research Center (ARC), Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Edward J Calabrese
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Morrill I, N344, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Raul Narciso C Guedes
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
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Basini G, Bussolati S, Torcianti V, Grasselli F. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) affects steroidogenesis and antioxidant defence in granulosa cells from swine ovary. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2023:104169. [PMID: 37286068 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PFOA is mainly employed in products with water and oil repellent properties. Due to its persistence, bioaccumulation and critical effects on health, its use has been restricted in several countries. This research was intended to explore PFOA action on the main functions of swine ovarian granulosa cells, a valuable model for translational medicine. Moreover, since we previously demonstrated a disruptive effect on free radical generation we sought to explore PFOA effects on the main antioxidant enzymes. PFOA inhibited cell proliferation (p < 0.001), assessed by BrdU uptake. Steroidogenesis was disrupted: PFOA also stimulated 17β-estradiol production (p < 0.05), increased progesterone production (p < 0.05) at the lowest dose while it displayed an inhibitory effect at higher concentrations (p < 0.05). SOD (p < 0.001), catalase (p < 0.05) and peroxidase (p < 0.01) activities were stimulated. Therefore, our study supports a disruptive effect of PFOA in cultured swine granulosa cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Basini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy.
| | - Simona Bussolati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Veronica Torcianti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesca Grasselli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
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