skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Comparative study of plant responses to carbon-based nanomaterials with different morphologies

Journal Article · · Nanotechnology
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4]
  1. Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR (United States)
  2. Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR (United States); Far-Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok (Russia)

The relationship between the morphology of carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) and the specific response of plants exposed to CBNs has not been studied systematically. Here, we prove that CBNs with different morphologies can activate cell growth, germination, and plant growth. A tobacco cell culture growth was found to increase by 22%–46% when CBNs such as helical multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), few-layered graphene, long MWCNTs, and short MWCNTs were added to the growth medium at a concentration of 50 μg ml–1. The germination of exposed tomato seeds, as well as the growth of exposed tomato seedlings, were significantly enhanced by the addition of all tested CBNs. The presence of CBNs inside exposed seeds was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of helical MWCNTs on gene expression in tomato seeds and seedlings were investigated by microarray technology and real time-PCR. Helical MWCNTs affected a number of genes involved in cellular and metabolic processes and response to stress factors. It was shown that the expression of the tomato water channel gene in tomato seeds exposed to helical MWCNTs was upregulated. Furthermore, these established findings demonstrate that CBNs with different morphologies can cause the same biological effects and share similar mechanisms in planta.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1319228
Journal Information:
Nanotechnology, Vol. 27, Issue 26; ISSN 0957-4484
Publisher:
IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 64 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (45)

Carbon Nanotubes as Plant Growth Regulators: Effects on Tomato Growth, Reproductive System, and Soil Microbial Community journal September 2012
Interaction of carbon nanohorns with plants: Uptake and biological effects journal January 2015
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles deliver DNA and chemicals into plants journal April 2007
Carbon Nanotubes as Molecular Transporters for Walled Plant Cells journal March 2009
Silica breaks through in plants journal May 2007
Effects of Acute and Subchronic Exposure of Topically Applied Fullerene Extracts on the Mouse Skin journal July 1993
Effects of Functionalized and Nonfunctionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on root Elongation of Select crop Species journal January 2008
Manufactured Nanomaterials (Fullerenes, C 60 ) Induce Oxidative Stress in the Brain of Juvenile Largemouth Bass journal July 2004
Nanoparticles – known and unknown health risks journal January 2004
Carbon Nanotubes Induce Growth Enhancement of Tobacco Cells journal February 2012
Impact of Carbon Nanotube Exposure to Seeds of Valuable Crops journal July 2013
Applications of carbon nanotubes in drug delivery journal December 2005
Size-Dependent Cellular Uptake and Expulsion of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Single Particle Tracking and a Generic Uptake Model for Nanoparticles journal December 2008
Antibacterial Effects of Carbon Nanotubes: Size Does Matter! journal July 2008
Cytotoxicity and Immunological Response of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles of Different Sizes journal June 2009
Determining the Size and Shape Dependence of Gold Nanoparticle Uptake into Mammalian Cells journal April 2006
Impact of Fullerene (C60) on a Soil Microbial Community journal April 2007
The Effect of Nanoparticle Size, Shape, and Surface Chemistry on Biological Systems journal August 2012
The Effect of Carbon Nanotubes on Rice Seed Germination and Root Growth book November 2013
Surface Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes Impacts the Growth and Expression of Water Channel Protein in Tomato Plants journal April 2012
In vitro interaction of colloidal nanoparticles with mammalian cells: What have we learned thus far? journal January 2014
Nanoparticulate material delivery to plants journal September 2010
Environmental behavior and ecotoxicity of engineered nanoparticles to algae, plants, and fungi journal May 2008
Interaction of Nanoparticles with Edible Plants and Their Possible Implications in the Food Chain journal April 2011
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) Corroboration of the Uptake and Storage of CeO 2 Nanoparticles and Assessment of Their Differential Toxicity in Four Edible Plant Species
  • López-Moreno, Martha L.; de la Rosa, Guadalupe; Hernández-Viezcas, José A.
  • Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 58, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1021/jf904472e
journal March 2010
Uptake and distribution of ceria nanoparticles in cucumber plants journal January 2011
Uptake, distribution and toxicity of gold nanoparticles in tobacco ( Nicotiana xanthi ) seedlings journal May 2011
Complex genetic, photothermal, and photoacoustic analysis of nanoparticle-plant interactions journal December 2010
Phytotoxicity of nanoparticles: Inhibition of seed germination and root growth journal November 2007
Phytotoxicity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on red spinach (Amaranthus tricolor L) and the role of ascorbic acid as an antioxidant journal December 2012
Effect of graphite and metallic impurities of C60 fullerene on determination of salbutamol in biological fluids journal March 2008
Fullerene-Enhanced Accumulation of p , p ′-DDE in Agricultural Crop Species journal August 2012
Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and C 60 Fullerenes Differentially Impact the Accumulation of Weathered Pesticides in Four Agricultural Plants journal October 2013
Graphene phytotoxicity in the seedling stage of cabbage, tomato, red spinach, and lettuce journal October 2011
Thermally controlled synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes with selective diameters journal January 2009
Tobacco Transcription Factors: Novel Insights into Transcriptional Regulation in the Solanaceae journal March 2008
The role of activated charcoal in plant tissue culture journal November 2008
Manganese toxicity to different growth processes in vitro in Nicotiana journal January 1997
Effect of Nano-TiO<SUB>2</SUB> on Strength of Naturally Aged Seeds and Growth of Spinach journal January 2005
Impact of Fe and Ag nanoparticles on seed germination and differences in bioavailability during exposure in aqueous suspension and soil journal May 2010
Influence of Metal Nanoparticles on the Soil Microbial Community and Germination of Lettuce Seeds journal July 2008
Physiological responses induced in tomato plants by a two-component nanostructural system composed of carbon nanotubes conjugated with quantum dots and its in vivo multimodal detection journal June 2011
Regulation of Levels of Proline as an Osmolyte in Plants under Water Stress journal January 1997
Proline Dehydrogenase Contributes to Pathogen Defense in Arabidopsis journal February 2011
Environmental behavior and ecotoxicity of engineered nanoparticles to algae, plants, and fungi text January 2008

Cited By (15)

Graphene and carbon nanotubes activate different cell surface receptors on macrophages before and after deactivation of endotoxins: Activation of macrophages before and after deactivation of endotoxin journal May 2017
Impact of Nanoparticles on Photosynthesizing Organisms and Their Use in Hybrid Structures with Some Components of Photosynthetic Apparatus book January 2019
Seed Priming with Cold Plasma and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Growth, Tissue Differentiation, Anatomy, and Yield in Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) journal April 2019
Contrasting effects of engineered carbon nanotubes on plants: a review journal April 2017
Enhanced RuBisCO activity and promoted dicotyledons growth with degradable carbon dots journal April 2019
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes improved growth, anatomy, physiology, secondary metabolism, and callus performance in Catharanthus roseus: an in vitro study journal October 2019
Environmental impact and potential health risks of 2D nanomaterials journal January 2017
Exploration of nano carbons in relevance to plant systems journal January 2018
The impact of tomato fruits containing multi-walled carbon nanotube residues on human intestinal epithelial cell barrier function and intestinal microbiome composition journal January 2019
Tuning the thermal diffusivity of the seed matter for enhanced biosynthesis: a thermal lens study journal February 2020
Effects of carbon-based nanomaterials on seed germination, biomass accumulation and salt stress response of bioenergy crops journal August 2018
Nanotechnology in Plant Science: To Make a Long Story Short journal May 2019
Influence of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles on Germination and Plant Metabolism of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): Preliminary Evidence journal March 2019
Biological effects of carbon nanotubes generated in forest wildfire ecosystems rich in resinous trees on native plants journal January 2017
Improvement of Commercially Valuable Traits of Industrial Crops by Application of Carbon-based Nanomaterials journal December 2019