Insights into growth-promoting effect of nanomaterials: Using transcriptomics and metabolomics to reveal the molecular mechanisms of MWCNTs in enhancing hyperaccumulator under heavy metal(loid)s stress

Xunfeng Chen, Juncai Wang, Renyuan Wang, Dan Zhang, Shaohua Chu, Xijia Yang, Kashif Hayat, Zhengqiu Fan, Xinde Cao, Yong Sik Ok, Pei Zhou

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    28 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Carbon nanotubes present potential applications in soil remediation, particularly in phytoremediation. Yet, how multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) induced hyperaccumulator growth at molecular level remains unclear. Here, physio-biochemical, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses were performed to determine the effect of MWCNTs on Solanum nigrum L. (S. nigrum) growth under cadmium and arsenic stresses. 500 mg/kg MWCNTs application significantly promoted S. nigrum growth, especially for root tissues. Specially, MWCNTs application yields 1.38-fold, 1.56-fold, and 1.37-fold enhancement in the shoot length, root length, and fresh biomass, respectively. Furthermore, MWCNTs significantly strengthened P and Fe absorption in roots, as well as the activities of antioxidative enzymes. Importantly, the transcriptomic analysis indicated that S. nigrum gene expression was sensitive to MWCNTs, and MWCNTs upregulated advantageous biological processes under heavy metal(loid)s stress. Besides, MWCNTs reprogramed metabolism that related to defense system, leading to accumulation of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid (amino acid), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (xenobiotic), and (S)-abscisic acid (lipid). In addition, key common pathways of differentially expressed metabolites and genes, including “tyrosine metabolism” and “isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis” were selected via integrating transcriptome and metabolome analyses. Combined omics technologies, our findings provide molecular mechanisms of MWCNTs in promoting S. nigrum growth, and highlight potential application of MWCNTs in soil remediation.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number129640
    JournalJournal of hazardous materials
    Volume439
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2022 Oct 5

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32171612 ), Shanghai " Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan " Social Development Science and Technology Project (Grant No. 20dz1204804 ), Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Action Project (Grant No. 20392001000 ), Yunnan Expert Workstation (Grant No. 202205AF150084 ), National Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2016YFD0800807 ).

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

    Keywords

    • Cadmium and arsenic
    • Carbon nanotubes
    • Metabolomic analysis
    • Solanum nigrum L.
    • Transcriptomic analysis

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Environmental Engineering
    • Environmental Chemistry
    • Waste Management and Disposal
    • Pollution
    • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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