Interactions of PFOS Toxicity and High Light Stress On Plant Growth and Photosynthesis

Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Biological Sciences

First Advisor

Yan Lu, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Todd Barkman, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Silvia Rossbach, Ph.D.

Keywords

High light stress, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), photosynthesis, plant growth

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Abstract Only

Restricted to Campus until

5-1-2036

Abstract

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a persistent environmental contaminant, poses significant risks to plant ecosystems, yet its mechanisms of phytotoxicity remain poorly understood. This study examined the interactive effects of PFOS exposure and light intensity on plant growth and photosynthesis, utilizing Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system. Wild-type plants exposed to increasing PFOS concentrations (0, 10, 25, and 50 μM) exhibited dose-dependent reductions in rosette diameter, fresh weight, total chlorophyll content, and the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), with toxicity intensified under high light conditions. Two-way analysis of variance confirmed significant interactions between PFOS concentration and light intensity for all parameters examined. The orrm6-1 mutant, deficient in plastid RNA editing and exhibiting reduced PSII activity, displayed heightened sensitivity to PFOS across all concentrations and light intensities tested. SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting showed that PFOS treatments reduced the amounts of essential photosynthetic proteins, such as psbA, psbE, LHCB1, petB, PetC, psaB, and LHCA1. In silico molecular docking predicted favorable binding interactions between PFOS and these essential photosynthetic proteins, suggesting that PFOS directly interferes with photosynthetic electron and proton transport. These findings provide mechanistic insights into PFAS phytotoxicity and highlight vulnerabilities in photosynthetically compromised plants.

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