Metabolomics - Useful Tool for Study of Plant Responses to Abiotic Stresses

Abstract

Abiotic stresses are produced by inappropriate levels of physical components of the environment and cause plant injury through unique mechanisms that result in specific responses. Metabolomics is a relatively new approach aimed at improved understanding of metabolic networks and the subsequent biochemical composition of plants and other biological organisms. The paper is focused on the use of metabolomics, metabolic profiling and metabolic fingerprinting to study plant responses to some environmental stresses (eg elevated temperature, chilling and freezing, drought, high salinity, UV radiation, high ozone levels, nutrient deficiency, oxidative stress, herbicides and heavy metals). Attention is also devoted to the effects of some environmental factors on plants such as high or low levels of CO2 or different levels of irradiance. Alterations of plants metabolites due to multiple abiotic stresses (drought-heat, drought-salinity, elevated CO2-salinity) are analysed as well. In addition, metabolomic approach to study plant responses to some artificial abiotic stresses, mechanical stress or pulsed electric field-induced stress is discussed. The most important analytical methods applied in metabolomics are presented and perspectives of metabolomics exploitation in the future are outlined, too.

Non-targeted metabolomics and scavenging activity of reactive oxygen species reveal the potential of Salicornia brachiata as a functional food

“…Metabolomics is the understanding of metabolic networks, represented by the identification and quantification of all available metabolites of the corresponding biological system (Dunn & Ellis, 2005). Comprehensive analysis of metabolites under environmental stress exhibits new responses and provides the biochemical status of plants (Král'ová, Jampílek, & Ostrovský, 2012).…”

Metabolic Adaptations of White Lupin Roots and Shoots under Phosphorus Deficiency

“…Metabolic profiling is considered a major tool in studying plant stress responses ( Guy et al, 2008 ; Shulaev et al, 2008 ; Král’ová et al, 2012 ). A variety of abiotic stresses, including shortage in nutrients, have been investigated by using metabolomics ( Obata and Fernie, 2012 ; Jorge et al, 2015 ).…”

Plant Metabolomics: An Indispensable System Biology Tool for Plant Science

“…In nature, adverse environmental conditions usually consist of several different factors, and one stress is usually accompanied with or followed by another [ 76 ]. To clarify the contribution of individual stress, a controlled variable method was introduced and plants were subjected to a single primary stress factor to simplify the system [ 77 ].…”