title: Genomic scale profiling of nutrient and trace elements in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: Understanding the functional connections between genes, proteins, metabolites and mineral ions is one of biology's greatest challenges in the postgenomic era. We describe here the use of mineral nutrient and trace element profiling as a tool to determine the biological significance of connections between a plant's genome and its elemental profile. Using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy, we quantified 18 elements, including essential macro- and micronutrients and various nonessential elements, in shoots of 6,000 mutagenized M2 Arabidopsis thaliana plants. We isolated 51 mutants with altered elemental profiles. One mutant contains a deletion in FRD3, a gene known to control iron-deficiency responses in A. thaliana. Based on the frequency of elemental profile mutations, we estimate 2-4% of the A. thaliana genome is involved in regulating the plant's nutrient and trace element content. These results demonstrate the utility of elemental profiling as a useful functional genomics tool.
authors.affiliation: Center for Plant Environmental Stress Physiology, Horticulture Building, 625 Agriculture Mall Drive, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lahner
authors.forename: Jiming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Mehrzad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoudian
authors.forename: Ellen L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Khush B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.forename: Elizabeth E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Guerinot
authors.forename: Jeffrey F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: Julian I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Salt
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology; D018745:Genome, Plant; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients; D008903:Minerals; D014131:Trace Elements