Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) and pathogenic bacteria are widely present in natural water, yet their interactive effects on aquatic organisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that Vibrio parahaemolyticus can extensively capture free NPs and facilitate their translocation through the intestinal barrier of Litopenaeus vannamei, thereby altering the distribution of NPs within shrimp and exacerbating their accumulation in the hepatopancreas. These findings provide the first evidence that bacteria act as carriers of NPs influencing their translocation. Interestingly, NPs also affect V. parahaemolyticus infection in shrimp by attenuating the virulence of pathogen, as evidenced by downregulated expression of virulence genes (Tdh and Trh), reduced bacterial loads, and improved host survival rates. Single-cell transcriptomics analysis revealed that NPs activate both energy metabolism and immune pathways, collectively enhancing the host’s antioxidative capacity and immunocompetence. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms of NPs-pathogen-host interactions and provide critical data for assessing the ecological risks of plastic pollution to seafood safety.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 42377363 and 42177253 to Yan Muting]; the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation [Grants 2024A1515011401 and 2024A1515030201 to Yan Muting and Han Gong, respectively]; the Guangdong Provincial Special Project for Promoting Urban-Rural and Regional Coordinated Development through Sci-Tech Achievements into Counties and Towns [Grant 2025B0202010035 to Yan Muting]; the Young Talent Support Project of Guangzhou Association for Science and Technology [Grant QT-2025-014 to Yan Muting]; and the Guangzhou Science and Technology Project, Basic and Applied Basic Research project [Grant 2025A04J5419 to Yan Muting]. Additionally, we acknowledge BioRender.com for assistance in creating graphical elements and Shanghai Majorbio Bio-pharm Technology Co., Ltd. (Meiji, China) for providing technical support in single-cell RNA sequencing.
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R.Z. and X.F. conducted the experiments and analyzed the data. C.L. prepared Figures 1-4 and performed statistical analysis. B.Z. and G.Z. contributed to data collection and technical support. H.G. and M.Y. conceived and supervised the project, provided funding, and critically revised the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
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Zhong, R., Fang, X., Li, C. et al. Combined Vibrio and nanoplastics stress promotes nanoplastic accumulation while reducing bacterial lethality in shrimp. npj Sci Food (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00697-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00697-0
