Micro- and nanoplastics are an escalating environmental challenge, contaminating aquatic ecosystems and posing risks to ecological health and environmental sustainability.

Recently, a new study led by researchers from the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) revealed that common duckweed demonstrates a notable level of resilience to widespread nanoplastic pollution.

The study has deciphered the plant's intricate cellular strategies for combating nanoplastic pollution, uncovering a sophisticated detoxification system and significant recovery potential.

Combining physiological and biochemical analyses, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, and nanoparticle tracking techniques, the researchers found that exposure to nanoplastics reduced growth rates and root length, and disrupted photosynthetic pigments—particularly at high concentrations. However, such exposure did not significantly affect the plant's overall biomass.

Notably, these physiological alterations—including growth inhibition, root shortening and photosynthetic pigment disruption—were largely reversible following a recovery period, highlighting the plant's resilience. Markers of oxidative stress were significantly elevated during both exposure and recovery phases, underscoring oxidative damage as a key mechanism of nanoplastic-induced cellular stress.

Single-nucleus RNA sequencing revealed cell-type-specific adaptations: mesophyll and sheath cells exhibited the most pronounced transcriptional reprogramming in metabolic and stress-response pathways, emphasizing their critical role in mitigating and adapting to nanoplastic stress.

Furthermore, the study identified duckweed's ability to rapidly uptake and excrete nanoplastics, pointing to an efficient detoxification system. This process alleviates physiological damage and activates targeted molecular programs for recovery and adaptation at the single-cell level.

The research deciphers duckweed's molecular strategies at the single-cell level, providing mechanistic insights into how aquatic plants interact with and survive in nanoplastic-polluted environments.

Published recently in ACS Nano, the study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the CAS Special Research Assistant Project, and other funding sources.