In this study, Brassica chinensis L seedlings after 6 weeks of soil cultivation were treated with
foliar application of TiO2 NPs (20 mg/L) for different
times. Transcriptomics analysis was employed to investigate the impact
of TiO2 NPs on the physiology, growth, and yield of B. chinensis L. Results showed that TiO2 NPs’ exposure significantly increased the biomass, total
phosphorus, and catalase enzyme activity by 23.60, 23.72, and 44.01%,
respectively, compared to the untreated ones (not bulk or ion).TiO2 NPs increased the leaf chlorophyll content by 4.9% and photosynthetic
rate by 16.62%, which was attributed to the upregulated expression
of seven genes (PetH, PetF, PsaF, PsbA, PsbB, PsbD, and Lhcb) associated with electron
transport in photosystem I and light-harvesting in leaves. The water
balance of B. chinensis was improved
correlating with the altered expressions of 19 aquaporin genes (e.g., PIP2;1 and NIP6;1). The expressions of
58 genes related to plant hormone signaling and growth were dysregulated,
with notable downregulations in GA20, SnRK2, and PP2C and upregulations
of DELLAs, SAM, and ETR. Moreover, the 11 tricarboxylic acid cycle
genes and 13 glycolysis genes appear to stimulate pathways involved
in promoting the growth and physiology of B. chinensis. This research contributes valuable insights into new strategies
for increasing the yield of B. chinensis.