Low Doses of Anatase and Rutile Nanoparticles Differently Modulate Photosynthesis and Regulatory Genes: A Contribution to the Nanoagroindustry

Nuno Mariz-Ponte, Sara Sario, Rafael J. Mendes, Márcio Couto, Emil Gimranov, Marino Santos, Cristiana V. Correia, Anicia Gomes, Paulo R. Oliveira-Pinto, Isabel Amorim, Maria Celeste Dias, José Miguel P. Ferreira de Oliveira and Conceição Santos
Additional contact information
Nuno Mariz-Ponte: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Sara Sario: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Rafael J. Mendes: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Márcio Couto: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Emil Gimranov: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Marino Santos: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Cristiana V. Correia: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Anicia Gomes: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Paulo R. Oliveira-Pinto: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Isabel Amorim: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Maria Celeste Dias: LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
José Miguel P. Ferreira de Oliveira: LAQV-REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Conceição Santos: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: Industrial applications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) are wide, and their use in nano-fertilizing technology has been proposed in the last few years. Bioactivity evaluation of different TiO 2 NPs formulations is therefore crucial, not only to select the most appropriate formulation but also to validate potential agro-applications. In the current work, we compared the bioactivity of the two most used TiO 2 NPs formulations (anatase and rutile–anatase) on the photosynthesis of Lactuca sativa . Seeds were exposed to concentrations of 0, 10, and 50 mg L −1 of anatase (A) or rutile–anatase (RA). Germination rate was not affected by NPs, but root growth was stimulated mainly by RA50. Compared with control, RA showed positive effects on photophosphorylation-related parameters. A50 was more efficient in promoting the gas exchange phase (PN, Ci, gs, and E) and in stimulating the absorption of some nutrients. Expanding on the biochemical and physiological data, we show that RA50 stimulated several genes coding for proteins involved in the electron transport in thylakoids ( psbA , petB , petA , psaA , psaC , ndhA , ndhD ) and ATP synthesis ( atpA , atpB ). The transcript coding for the large subunit of RuBisCO ( rbcL ), was stimulated by lower concentration (RA10). This suggests that RuBisCO is highly sensitive to these NPs even at low doses. RA at low doses has been demonstrated to be the most promising NP. These discriminative effects of TiO 2 NPs, based on their formulation and dose, may present advantages for their use in the precision nanoagroindustry.

Keywords: bioactivity; crop growth; gene regulation; photosynthesis; titanium-dioxide nanoparticles (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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