title: Metabolic profiling of plant extracts using direct-injection electrospray ionization mass spectrometry allows for high-throughput phenotypic characterization according to genetic and environmental effects.
abstract: In comparison to the exponential increase of genotyping methods, phenotyping strategies are lagging behind in agricultural sciences. Genetic improvement depends upon the abundance of quantitative phenotypic data and the statistical partitioning of variance into environmental, genetic, and random effects. A metabolic phenotyping strategy was adapted to increase sample throughput while saving reagents, reducing cost, and simplifying data analysis. The chemical profiles of stem extracts from maize plants grown under low nitrogen (LN) or control trial (CT) were analyzed using optimized protocols for direct-injection electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DIESI-MS). Specific ions significantly decreased or increased because of environmental (LN versus CT) or genotypic effects. Biochemical profiling with DIESI-MS had a superior cost-benefit compared to other standard analytical technologies (e.g., ultraviolet, near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection) routinely used for plant breeding. The method can be successfully applied in maize, strawberry, coffee, and other crop species.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Unidad Irapuato , Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Flores
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juárez-Colunga
authors.forename: Adrián
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Casarrubias
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trachsel
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiessen
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D001947:Breeding; D004777:Environment; D005838:Genotype; D055432:Metabolomics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010641:Phenotype; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: biochemical phenotyping; crop physiology; fingerprinting; low nitrogen stress; maize genetic improvement