UV-328 disrupts mineral nutrient homeostasis and secondary metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana: Linking physiological responses to molecular mechanisms.

The persistent benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizer UV-328 is increasingly detected in agricultural soils, particularly under plastic mulch films, where its high hydrophobicity and bioaccumulation potential raise concerns for environmental and ecological risk assessment. Here, we systematically investigated the concentration-dependent effects of UV-328 (0-150 μM) on Arabidopsis thaliana using integrated multi-omics and physiological analyses. Our results demonstrated that 50 μM UV-328 promoted plant growth by 38% in shoot biomass while activating antioxidant enzyme gene expression, whereas whereas high concentrations caused biomass reduction and induced severe membrane lipid peroxidation. Notably, UV-328 disrupted mineral nutrient homeostasis and profoundly reprogrammed secondary metabolite profiles, including flavonoids, terpenoids, and nitrogen-containing compounds. Cross-omics network analysis coupled with molecular docking identified the nitrate transporter NRT1.1 and the phosphorus sensor SPX3 as high-affinity targets of UV-328. These findings establish UV-328-transporter binding as a mechanistic trigger of nutrient dysregulation and metabolic reprogramming, positioning nutrient homeostasis as a vulnerable endpoint for ecological risk assessment and a translational target for crop protection.