# Exposure of Wheat Plants to Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles for Two Generations Affects the Third Generation’s Responses to Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid

## TL;DR

Exposing wheat plants to cerium oxide nanoparticles affects future generations' responses to a harmful chemical called PFOS.

## Contribution

This study reveals transgenerational effects of nanoparticle exposure on plant metabolism and elemental composition.

## Key findings

- Exposure to CeO2–NPs reduced macro- and microelement concentrations in wheat grains.
- PFOS exposure led to accumulation in grains and significant changes in grain metabolite composition.
- Repeated exposure to CeO2–NPs decreased abundances of multiple metabolites in subsequent generations.

## Abstract

The effects of parental stress on the performance of
the next generation
plants exposed to another contaminant were investigated. Wheat plants
were exposed to cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2–NPs)
in the first and second generations and to perfluorooctanesulfonic
acid (PFOS) in the third generation. Phenotypic or metabolic responses
were assessed at 21 day (short-term exposure) or 90 day (long-term
exposure) exposure periods. Biomass production, chlorophyll content,
enzyme activity, and membrane damage were measured during short-term
exposure, while elemental and PFOS concentrations and grain metabolites
were analyzed during long-term exposure. Results showed that continued
exposures to CeO2–NPs and PFOS improved chlorophyll
content but reduced concentrations of important macro- and microelements
in the grains of daughter plants. PFOS was accumulated in wheat grains,
while metabolomic analysis revealed that the grain metabolite composition
was significantly altered. Continued exposure to CeO2–NPs
followed by exposure to PFOS decreased the abundances of most metabolites
(22 out of 34). Consistent and repeated previous exposures to CeO2–NPs also progressively reduced the concentrations
of sucrose-6-phosphate, adenine, glutamic acid, and other organic
acid metabolites. The findings suggest that the prior generation’s
exposure could still influence succeeding progeny generations via
invisible changes in metabolite and elemental composition of grains.