Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i>
Microplastics and invasive species, driven by anthropogenic activities, significantly disrupt ecosystems and microbial communities. This study investigated the interactive effects of biodegradable microplastics (polylactic acid, or PLA, and polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs) and the fungal pathogen <...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1972 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849704230795870208 |
|---|---|
| author | Muhammad Anas Irfan Ullah Khan Rui-Ke Zhang Shan-Shan Qi Zhi-Cong Dai Dao-Lin Du |
| author_facet | Muhammad Anas Irfan Ullah Khan Rui-Ke Zhang Shan-Shan Qi Zhi-Cong Dai Dao-Lin Du |
| author_sort | Muhammad Anas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microplastics and invasive species, driven by anthropogenic activities, significantly disrupt ecosystems and microbial communities. This study investigated the interactive effects of biodegradable microplastics (polylactic acid, or PLA, and polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs) and the fungal pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on the invasive plant <i>Solidago canadensis</i>. One plant of <i>Solidago canadensis</i>/pot was cultivated in forest soil amended with 1% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) microplastics and/or <i>R. solani.</i> PLA exhibited greater toxicity than PHAs, reducing the plant height, root length, and biomass by 68%, 44%, and 70%, respectively. Microplastics impaired the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II more severely than <i>R. solani</i>. However, <i>S. canadensis</i> demonstrated adaptive antioxidative and extracellular enzymatic mechanisms under combined stresses. A heatmap analysis revealed a positive correlation between PHAs and plant growth traits, while a redundancy analysis explained the 15.96% and 4.19% variability for the first two components (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.95). A structural equation model indicated the negative effects of morphology and physiology on biomass (β = −1.694 and β = −0.932; <i>p</i> < 0.001), countered by positive antioxidant contributions (β = 1.296; <i>p</i> < 0.001). These findings highlight complex interactions among microplastics, pathogens, and invasive species, offering insights into ecological management strategies under dual environmental pressures. Future studies should assess the long-term field effects and microbial mediation of these interactions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5987a9c1eded40418d78db36206f073a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-5987a9c1eded40418d78db36206f073a2025-08-20T03:16:50ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011413197210.3390/plants14131972Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i>Muhammad Anas0Irfan Ullah Khan1Rui-Ke Zhang2Shan-Shan Qi3Zhi-Cong Dai4Dao-Lin Du5School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaInstitute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, ChinaInstitute of Environment and Ecology, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaJingjiang College, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaMicroplastics and invasive species, driven by anthropogenic activities, significantly disrupt ecosystems and microbial communities. This study investigated the interactive effects of biodegradable microplastics (polylactic acid, or PLA, and polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs) and the fungal pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on the invasive plant <i>Solidago canadensis</i>. One plant of <i>Solidago canadensis</i>/pot was cultivated in forest soil amended with 1% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) microplastics and/or <i>R. solani.</i> PLA exhibited greater toxicity than PHAs, reducing the plant height, root length, and biomass by 68%, 44%, and 70%, respectively. Microplastics impaired the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II more severely than <i>R. solani</i>. However, <i>S. canadensis</i> demonstrated adaptive antioxidative and extracellular enzymatic mechanisms under combined stresses. A heatmap analysis revealed a positive correlation between PHAs and plant growth traits, while a redundancy analysis explained the 15.96% and 4.19% variability for the first two components (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.95). A structural equation model indicated the negative effects of morphology and physiology on biomass (β = −1.694 and β = −0.932; <i>p</i> < 0.001), countered by positive antioxidant contributions (β = 1.296; <i>p</i> < 0.001). These findings highlight complex interactions among microplastics, pathogens, and invasive species, offering insights into ecological management strategies under dual environmental pressures. Future studies should assess the long-term field effects and microbial mediation of these interactions.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1972microplasticsinvasive speciesfungal pathogenecosystemantioxidantsextracellular enzymes |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Anas Irfan Ullah Khan Rui-Ke Zhang Shan-Shan Qi Zhi-Cong Dai Dao-Lin Du Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i> Plants microplastics invasive species fungal pathogen ecosystem antioxidants extracellular enzymes |
| title | Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i> |
| title_full | Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i> |
| title_fullStr | Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i> |
| title_short | Interactive Effect of Microplastics and Fungal Pathogen <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> on Antioxidative Mechanism and Fluorescence Activity of Invasive Species <i>Solidago canadensis</i> |
| title_sort | interactive effect of microplastics and fungal pathogen i rhizoctonia solani i on antioxidative mechanism and fluorescence activity of invasive species i solidago canadensis i |
| topic | microplastics invasive species fungal pathogen ecosystem antioxidants extracellular enzymes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1972 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT muhammadanas interactiveeffectofmicroplasticsandfungalpathogenirhizoctoniasolaniionantioxidativemechanismandfluorescenceactivityofinvasivespeciesisolidagocanadensisi AT irfanullahkhan interactiveeffectofmicroplasticsandfungalpathogenirhizoctoniasolaniionantioxidativemechanismandfluorescenceactivityofinvasivespeciesisolidagocanadensisi AT ruikezhang interactiveeffectofmicroplasticsandfungalpathogenirhizoctoniasolaniionantioxidativemechanismandfluorescenceactivityofinvasivespeciesisolidagocanadensisi AT shanshanqi interactiveeffectofmicroplasticsandfungalpathogenirhizoctoniasolaniionantioxidativemechanismandfluorescenceactivityofinvasivespeciesisolidagocanadensisi AT zhicongdai interactiveeffectofmicroplasticsandfungalpathogenirhizoctoniasolaniionantioxidativemechanismandfluorescenceactivityofinvasivespeciesisolidagocanadensisi AT daolindu interactiveeffectofmicroplasticsandfungalpathogenirhizoctoniasolaniionantioxidativemechanismandfluorescenceactivityofinvasivespeciesisolidagocanadensisi |