Joksimović Ana, Arsenov Danijela, Borišev Milan, Djordjević Aleksandar, Župunski Milan, Borišev Ivana
A Bio Tech Lab Ltd, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia.
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
PLoS One. 2025 Aug 19;20(8):e0330022. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330022. eCollection 2025.
This study aimed to characterise the chemical properties of fullerenol nanoparticles (FNP) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO nano), as well as their physiological and molecular effects following foliar application on Arabidopsis thaliana. Additionally, we explored the potential synergistic impact of combining ZnO nano with FNPs to enhance plant resilience under drought stress conditions. Chemical characterisation confirmed the successful formation of a stable FNP-ZnO aggregate. The previously established biostimulatory effects of fullerenol at micromolar concentrations were reaffirmed, highlighting its unique chemical properties. We demonstrated that a low dose (10 mg/L) of ZnO nano, used as a foliar application for the first time in Arabidopsis thaliana, positively influenced drought stress acclimatization. Our findings indicate that FNP and ZnO alleviate oxidative stress by mitigating the impact of reactive oxygen species (ROS), modulating antioxidant enzyme activities, and stabilising redox balance. Photosynthetic performance, stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency were optimized, particularly through fullerenol application, due to its unique antioxidative and hygroscopic properties. We further analyzed the expression of selected drought-response genes involved in ABA-dependent and ABA-independent water deficit acclimation in Col-0 wild-type and pp2ca-1 drought hypersensitive mutant backgrounds. Our results revealed distinct gene expression changes in response to nanoparticle treatments, demonstrating modulation of ABA signaling and stress-related transcription factors. The combined application of FNP and ZnO exhibited unique, synergistic protective effects in drought acclimation. Future research will further elucidate the direct mechanisms linking these physiological outcomes to specific nanoparticle properties, paving the way for innovative strategies in sustainable agriculture.
本研究旨在表征富勒醇纳米颗粒（FNP）和氧化锌纳米颗粒（ZnO纳米颗粒）的化学性质，以及它们在拟南芥叶片喷施后的生理和分子效应。此外，我们还探讨了将ZnO纳米颗粒与FNP结合使用对增强干旱胁迫条件下植物恢复力的潜在协同影响。化学表征证实成功形成了稳定的FNP-ZnO聚集体。再次确认了先前确定的微摩尔浓度富勒醇的生物刺激作用，突出了其独特的化学性质。我们证明，首次在拟南芥中作为叶面喷施使用的低剂量（10 mg/L）ZnO纳米颗粒对干旱胁迫适应性有积极影响。我们的研究结果表明，FNP和ZnO通过减轻活性氧（ROS）的影响、调节抗氧化酶活性和稳定氧化还原平衡来缓解氧化应激。由于富勒醇具有独特的抗氧化和吸湿特性，光合性能、气孔导度和水分利用效率得到了优化，尤其是通过施用富勒醇。我们进一步分析了在Col-0野生型和pp2ca-1干旱敏感突变体背景下，参与ABA依赖和ABA非依赖水分亏缺适应的选定干旱响应基因的表达。我们的结果揭示了纳米颗粒处理后不同的基因表达变化，表明ABA信号传导和胁迫相关转录因子受到了调节。FNP和ZnO的联合应用在干旱适应中表现出独特的协同保护作用。未来的研究将进一步阐明将这些生理结果与特定纳米颗粒特性联系起来的直接机制，为可持续农业的创新策略铺平道路。
