Direct infusion mass spectrometry of oxylipin-containing Arabidopsis membrane lipids reveals varied patterns in different stress responses

Mass spectrometry imaging of Arabidopsis thaliana with in vivo D2O labeling

The commonly used analytical tools for metabolomics cannot directly probe metabolic activities or distinguish metabolite differences between cells and suborgans in multicellular organisms. These issues can be addressed by in-vivo isotope labeling and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), respectively, but the combination of the two, a newly emerging technology we call MSIi, has been rarely applied to plant systems. In this study, we explored MSIi of Arabidopsis thaliana with D2O labeling to study and visualize D-labeling in three classes of lipids: arabidopsides, chloroplast lipids, and epicuticular wax. Similar to other stress responses, D2O-induced stress increased arabidopsides in an hour, but it was relatively minor for matured plants and reverted to the normal level in a few hours. The D-labeling isotopologue patterns of arabidopsides matched with those of galactolipid precursors, supporting the currently accepted biosynthesis mechanism. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MSI was used to visualize the spatiotemporal distribution of deuterated chloroplast lipids, pheophytin a, MGDGs, and DGDGs, after growing day-after-sowing (DAS) 28 plants in D2O condition for 3-12 days. There was a gradual change of deuteration amount along the leaf tissues and with a longer labeling time, which was attributed to slow respiration leading to low D2O concentration in the tissues. Finally, deuterium incorporation in epicuticular wax was visualized on the surfaces of the stem and flower. The conversion efficiency of newly synthesized C30 aldehyde to C29 ketone was very low in the lower stem but very high at the top of the stem near the flower or on the flower carpel. This study successfully demonstrated that MSIi can unveil spatiotemporal metabolic activities in various tissues of A. thaliana.

Phosphatidic acid signaling and function in nuclei

Membrane lipidomes are dynamic and their changes generate lipid mediators affecting various biological processes. Phosphatidic acid (PA) has emerged as an important class of lipid mediators involved in a wide range of cellular and physiological responses in plants, animals, and microbes. The regulatory functions of PA have been studied primarily outside the nuclei, but an increasing number of recent studies indicates that some of the PA effects result from its action in nuclei. PA levels in nuclei are dynamic in response to stimuli. Changes in nuclear PA levels can result from activities of enzymes associated with nuclei and/or from movements of PA generated extranuclearly. PA has also been found to interact with proteins involved in nuclear functions, such as transcription factors and proteins undergoing nuclear translocation in response to stimuli. The nuclear action of PA affects various aspects of plant growth, development, and response to stress and environmental changes.

Lipid modulation contributes to heat stress adaptation in peanut

At the cellular level, membrane damage is a fundamental cause of yield loss at high temperatures (HT). We report our investigations on a subset of a peanut (Arachis hypogaea) recombinant inbred line population, demonstrating that the membrane lipid remodeling occurring at HT is consistent with homeoviscous adaptation to maintain membrane fluidity. A major alteration in the leaf lipidome at HT was the reduction in the unsaturation levels, primarily through reductions of 18:3 fatty acid chains, of the plastidic and extra-plastidic diacyl membrane lipids. In contrast, levels of 18:3-containing triacylglycerols (TGs) increased at HT, consistent with a role for TGs in sequestering fatty acids when membrane lipids undergo remodeling during plant stress. Polyunsaturated acyl chains from membrane diacyl lipids were also sequestered as sterol esters (SEs). The removal of 18:3 chains from the membrane lipids decreased the availability of susceptible molecules for oxidation, thereby minimizing oxidative damage in membranes. Our results suggest that transferring 18:3 chains from membrane diacyl lipids to TGs and SEs is a key feature of lipid remodeling for HT adaptation in peanut. Finally, QTL-seq allowed the identification of a genomic region associated with heat-adaptive lipid remodeling, which would be useful for identifying molecular markers for heat tolerance.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal the Importance of Lipid Metabolism and Photosynthesis Regulation in High Salinity Tolerance in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Leaves Derived from Mutagenesis Combined with Microspore Culture

Barley is the most salt-tolerant cereal crop. However, little attention has been paid to the salt-tolerant doubled haploids of barley derived from mutagenesis combined with isolated microspore culture. In the present study, barley doubled haploid (DH) line 20, which was produced by mutagenesis combined with isolated microspore culture, showed stably and heritably better salt tolerance than the wild type H30 in terms of fresh shoot weight, dry shoot weight, K+/Na+ ratio and photosynthetic characteristics. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses were performed to compare the changes in gene expression and metabolites between DH20 and H30. A total of 462 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 152 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified in DH20 compared to H30 under salt stress. Among the DAMs, fatty acids were the most accumulated in DH20 under salt stress. The integration of transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed that nine key biomarkers, including two metabolites and seven genes, could distinguish DH20 and H30 when exposed to high salt. The pathways of linoleic acid metabolism, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, photosynthesis, and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism were significantly enriched in DH20 with DEGs and DAMs in response to salt stress. These results suggest that DH20 may enhance resilience by promoting lipid metabolism, maintaining energy metabolism and decreasing amino acids metabolism. The study provided novel insights for the rapid generation of homozygous mutant plants by mutagenesis combined with microspore culture technology and also identified candidate genes and metabolites that may enable the mutant plants to cope with salt stress.

Self-incompatibility: a targeted, unexplored pre-fertilization barrier in flower crops of Asteraceae

Asteraceae (synonym as Compositae) is one of the largest angiosperm families among flowering plants comprising one-tenth of all agri-horticultural species grown across various habitats except in Antarctica. These are commercially utilized as cut and loose flowers as well as pot and bedding plants in landscape gardens due to their unique floral traits. Consequently, ineffective seed setting and presence of an intraspecific reproductive barrier known as self-incompatibility (SI) severely reduces the effectiveness of hybridization and self-fertilization by traditional crossing. There have been very few detailed studies of pollen-stigma interactions in this family. Moreover, about 63% of Aster species can barely self-fertilize due to self-incompatibility (SI). The chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × morifolium) is one of the most economically important ornamental plants in the Asteraceae family which hugely shows incompatibility. Reasons for the low fertility and reproductive capacity of species are still indefinite or not clear. Hence, the temporal pattern of inheritance of self-incompatibility and its effect on reproductive biology needs to be investigated further to improve the breeding efficiency. This review highlights the self-incompatible (SI) system operating in important Astraceous (ornamental) crops which are adversely affected by this mechanism along with different physiological and molecular techniques involved in breaking down self-incompatibility.

Lipidomics-Assisted GWAS (lGWAS) Approach for Improving High-Temperature Stress Tolerance of Crops

High-temperature stress (HT) over crop productivity is an important environmental factor demanding more attention as recent global warming trends are alarming and pose a potential threat to crop production. According to the Sixth IPCC report, future years will have longer warm seasons and frequent heat waves. Thus, the need arises to develop HT-tolerant genotypes that can be used to breed high-yielding crops. Several physiological, biochemical, and molecular alterations are orchestrated in providing HT tolerance to a genotype. One mechanism to counter HT is overcoming high-temperature-induced membrane superfluidity and structural disorganizations. Several HT lipidomic studies on different genotypes have indicated the potential involvement of membrane lipid remodelling in providing HT tolerance. Advances in high-throughput analytical techniques such as tandem mass spectrometry have paved the way for large-scale identification and quantification of the enormously diverse lipid molecules in a single run. Physiological trait-based breeding has been employed so far to identify and select HT tolerant genotypes but has several disadvantages, such as the genotype-phenotype gap affecting the efficiency of identifying the underlying genetic association. Tolerant genotypes maintain a high photosynthetic rate, stable membranes, and membrane-associated mechanisms. In this context, studying the HT-induced membrane lipid remodelling, resultant of several up-/down-regulations of genes and post-translational modifications, will aid in identifying potential lipid biomarkers for HT tolerance/susceptibility. The identified lipid biomarkers (LIPIDOTYPE) can thus be considered an intermediate phenotype, bridging the gap between genotype–phenotype (genotype–LIPIDOTYPE–phenotype). Recent works integrating metabolomics with quantitative genetic studies such as GWAS (mGWAS) have provided close associations between genotype, metabolites, and stress-tolerant phenotypes. This review has been sculpted to provide a potential workflow that combines MS-based lipidomics and the robust GWAS (lipidomics assisted GWAS-lGWAS) to identify membrane lipid remodelling related genes and associations which can be used to develop HS tolerant genotypes with enhanced membrane thermostability (MTS) and heat stable photosynthesis (HP).

Lipids associated with plant-bacteria interaction identified using a metabolomics approach in an Arabidopsis thaliana model

Background

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) protects plants against a wide variety of pathogens. In recent decades, numerous studies have focused on the induction of SAR, but its molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Methods

We used a metabolomics approach based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic (UPLC) and mass spectrometric (MS) techniques to identify SAR-related lipid metabolites in an Arabidopsis thaliana model. Multiple statistical analyses were used to identify the differentially regulated metabolites.

Results

Numerous lipids were implicated as potential factors in both plant basal resistance and SAR; these include species of phosphatidic acid (PA), monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and triacylglycerol (TG).

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that lipids accumulated in both local and systemic leaves, while other lipids only accumulated in local leaves or in systemic leaves. PA (16:0_18:2), PE (34:5) and PE (16:0_18:2) had higher levels in both local leaves inoculated with Psm ES4326 or Psm avrRpm1 and systemic leaves of the plants locally infected with Psm avrRpm1 or Psm ES4326. PC (32:5) had high levels in leaves inoculated with Psm ES4326. Other differentially regulated metabolites, including PA (18:2_18:2), PA (16:0_18:3), PA (18:3_18:2), PE (16:0_18:3), PE (16:1_16:1), PE (34:4) and TGs showed higher levels in systemic leaves of the plants locally infected with Psm avrRpm1 or Psm ES4326. These findings will help direct future studies on the molecular mechanisms of SAR.

Specific Changes in Arabidopsis thaliana Rosette Lipids during Freezing Can Be Associated with Freezing Tolerance

While the roles of a few specific lipids in plant freezing tolerance are understood, the effect of many plant lipids remains to be determined. Acclimation of plants to non-freezing cold before exposure to freezing temperatures improves the outcome of plants, compared to plants exposed to freezing without acclimation. Arabidopsis thaliana plants were subjected to one of three treatments: (1) "control", i.e., growth at 21 °C, (2) "non-acclimated", i.e., 3 days at 21 °C, 2 h at -8 °C, and 24 h recovery at 21 °C, and (3) "acclimated", i.e., 3 days at 4 °C, 2 h at -8 °C, and 24 h recovery at 21 °C. Plants were harvested at seven time points during the treatments, and lipid levels were measured by direct-infusion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Ion leakage was measured at the same time points. To examine the function of lipid species in relation to freezing tolerance, the lipid levels in plants immediately following the freezing treatment were correlated with the outcome, i.e., ion leakage 24-h post-freezing. Based on the correlations, hypotheses about the functions of specific lipids were generated. Additionally, analysis of the lipid levels in plants with mutations in genes encoding patatin-like phospholipases, lipoxygenases, and 12-oxophytodienoic acid reductase 3 (opr3), under the same treatments as the wild-type plants, identified only the opr3-2 mutant as having major lipid compositional differences compared to wild-type plants.

Specific galactolipids species correlate with rice genotypic variability for phosphate utilization efficiency

Membrane lipid remodeling helps in the efficient utilization of phosphorus (P) by replacing phospholipids with galactolipids during P deficiency. Previous studies have shown lipid remodeling in rice under P deficiency; however, main lipid classes did not show association with superior P-use-efficiency in rice genotypes. Here, diverse rice genotypes were extensively phenotyped in normal (NP) and low P (LP) conditions. Based on the phenotypic response to P deficiency, genotypes were identified as tolerant and sensitive. Further, bulks were generated differing in their physiological P-use-efficiency (PPUE) during LP condition. Shoot lipidome profiling of genotypes was performed and used to correlate the abundance of various lipid classes and their constituent species with the PPUE of the genotypes. Lipid remodeling was observed as a P-starvation-induced response in all the genotypes. However, neither total galacto- and phospholipids nor the lipid classes correlated with PPUE during P deficiency. However, the difference in PPUE in the two bulks correlated with specific lipid species of galactolipids (DGDG, MGDG). Further, DGDG34:3 had the highest Mol% among the differentially accumulated lipid species between the two bulks. Our study reveals the importance of specific galactolipids species in rice adaptation to P deficient soils and thus opens new targets for future research.

Inoculation of barley with Trichoderma harzianum T-22 modifies lipids and metabolites to improve salt tolerance

Soil salinity has a serious impact on plant growth and agricultural yield. Inoculation of crop plants with fungal endophytes is a cost-effective way to improve salt tolerance. We used metabolomics to study how Trichoderma harzianum T-22 alleviates NaCl-induced stress in two barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars, Gairdner and Vlamingh, with contrasting salinity tolerance. GC-MS was used to analyse polar metabolites and LC-MS to analyse lipids in roots during the early stages of interaction with Trichoderma. Inoculation reversed the severe effects of salt on root length in sensitive cv. Gairdner and, to a lesser extent, improved root growth in more tolerance cv. Vlamingh. Biochemical changes showed a similar pattern in inoculated roots after salt treatment. Sugars increased in both cultivars, with ribulose, ribose, and rhamnose specifically increased by inoculation. Salt stress caused large changes in lipids in roots but inoculation with fungus greatly reduced the extent of these changes. Many of the metabolic changes in inoculated cv. Gairdner after salt treatment mirror the response of uninoculated cv. Vlamingh, but there are some metabolites that changed in both cultivars only after fungal inoculation. Further study is required to determine how these metabolic changes are induced by fungal inoculation.

A Role for Inositol Pyrophosphates in the Metabolic Adaptations to Low Phosphate in Arabidopsis

Phosphate is a major plant macronutrient and low phosphate availability severely limits global crop productivity. In Arabidopsis, a key regulator of the transcriptional response to low phosphate, phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1), is modulated by a class of signaling molecules called inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs). Two closely related diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate enzymes (AtVIP1 and AtVIP2) are responsible for the synthesis and turnover of InsP₈, the most implicated molecule. This study is focused on characterizing Arabidopsis vip1/vip2 double mutants and their response to low phosphate. We present evidence that both local and systemic responses to phosphate limitation are dampened in the vip1/vip2 mutants as compared to wild-type plants. Specifically, we demonstrate that under Pi-limiting conditions, the vip1/vip2 mutants have shorter root hairs and lateral roots, less accumulation of anthocyanin and less accumulation of sulfolipids and galactolipids. However, phosphate starvation response (PSR) gene expression is unaffected. Interestingly, many of these phenotypes are opposite to those exhibited by other mutants with defects in the PP-InsP synthesis pathway. Our results provide insight on the nexus between inositol phosphates and pyrophosphates involved in complex regulatory mechanisms underpinning phosphate homeostasis in plants.

Novel Insight into the Relationship between Metabolic Profile and Fatty Acid Accumulation Altering Cellular Lipid Content in Pineapple Fruits at Different Stages of Maturity

Pineapple fruits are usually harvested at different stages of maturity, based on consumer demands. The stage of maturity significantly affects the storage tolerance due to alterations in the cellular lipid homeostasis in the fruits. The characteristic abundance of metabolites and fatty acids (FAs) can provide vital information giving insight into the cellular lipid changes that occur during the ripening process in the fruits. Here, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, largely based on the analysis of widely targeted metabolomics, was applied to evaluate the differences in the metabolites among the pineapple at three different stages of maturity namely, pineapples at the young fruit (YF), mature fruit (MF), and fully mature fruit (FMF) stages. In this study, 466 metabolites were annotated and identified. Among these, 59 lipids, including the glyceride esters, fatty acids and conjugates, and lysophospholipids (LPLs) were characterized. Notably, the LPLs were down-regulated in their relative abundance in the MF compared with the YF, and subsequently they remained almost stable in the FMF stage. The FA profiling results revealed the presence of certain unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs); besides, the total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) to saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio, as well as the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to SFA ratio, showed noticeable decrease during the ripening process. The differential accumulation patterns of the LPLs, MUFAs, PUFAs, and SFAs imply that the lipid degradation and peroxidation take place in the pineapple fruits from the YF to MF and YF to FMF stages, respectively. The present study provides new insights into the alterations in the cellular lipid metabolism underlying the metabolite profiles and accumulation of FAs in pineapple fruits during ripening.

Head-Group Acylation of Chloroplast Membrane Lipids

Head group-acylated chloroplast lipids were discovered in the 1960s, but interest was renewed about 15 years ago with the discovery of Arabidopsides E and G, acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols with oxidized fatty acyl chains originally identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. Since then, plant biologists have applied the power of mass spectrometry to identify additional oxidized and non-oxidized chloroplast lipids and quantify their levels in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. The enzyme responsible for the head-group acylation of chloroplast lipids was identified as a cytosolic protein closely associated with the chloroplast outer membrane and christened acylated galactolipid-associated phospholipase 1 (AGAP1). Despite many advances, critical questions remain about the biological functions of AGAP1 and its head group-acylated products.

Enhanced Production of Photosynthetic Pigments and Various Metabolites and Lipids in the Cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 7338 Culture in the Presence of Exogenous Glucose

Synechocystis strains are cyanobacteria that can produce useful biomaterials for biofuel and pharmaceutical resources. In this study, the effects of exogenous glucose (5-mM) on cell growth, photosynthetic pigments, metabolites, and lipids in Synechocystis sp. PCC 7338 (referred to as Synechocystis 7338) were investigated. Exogenous glucose increased cell growth on days 9 and 18. The highest production (mg/L) of chlorophyll a (34.66), phycocyanin (84.94), allophycocyanin (34.28), and phycoerythrin (6.90) was observed on day 18 in Synechocystis 7338 culture under 5-mM glucose. Alterations in metabolic and lipidomic profiles under 5-mM glucose were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) and nanoelectrospray ionization-MS. The highest production (relative intensity/L) of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycerol-3-phosphate, linolenic acid, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) 16:0/18:1, MGDG 16:0/20:2, MGDG 18:1/18:2, neophytadiene, oleic acid, phosphatidylglycerol (PG) 16:0/16:0, and PG 16:0/17:2 was achieved on day 9. The highest production of pyroglutamic acid and sucrose was observed on day 18. We suggest that the addition of exogenous glucose to Synechocystis 7338 culture could be an efficient strategy for improving growth of cells and production of photosynthetic pigments, metabolites, and intact lipid species for industrial applications.

12-oxo-Phytodienoic Acid: A Fuse and/or Switch of Plant Growth and Defense Responses?

12-oxo-Phytodienoic acid (OPDA) is a primary precursor of (-)-jasmonic acid (JA), able to trigger autonomous signaling pathways that regulate a unique subset of jasmonate-responsive genes, activating and fine-tuning defense responses, as well as growth processes in plants. Recently, a number of studies have illuminated the physiol-molecular activities of OPDA signaling in plants, which interconnect the regulatory loop of photosynthesis, cellular redox homeostasis, and transcriptional regulatory networks, together shedding new light on (i) the underlying modes of cellular interfaces between growth and defense responses (e.g., fitness trade-offs or balances) and (ii) vital information in genetic engineering or molecular breeding approaches to upgrade own survival capacities of plants. However, our current knowledge regarding its mode of actions is still far from complete. This review will briefly revisit recent progresses on the roles and mechanisms of OPDA and information gaps within, which help in understanding the phenotypic and environmental plasticity of plants.

Cloning of wheat keto-acyl thiolase 2B reveals a role of jasmonic acid in grain weight determination

Grain weight (GW) is one of the component traits of wheat yield. Existing reports have shown that multiple phytohormones are involved in the regulation of GW in different crops. However, the potential role of jasmonic acid (JA) remains unclear. Here, we report that triticale grain weight 1 (tgw1) mutant, with marked reductions in both GW and JA content, is caused by a premature stop mutation in keto-acyl thiolase 2B (KAT-2B) involved in β-oxidation during JA synthesis. KAT-2B overexpression increases GW in wild type and boosts yield. Additionally, KAT-2B compliments the grain defect in tgw1 and rescues the lethal phenotype of the Arabidopsis kat2 mutant in a sucrose-free medium. Despite the suppression of JA synthesis in tgw1 mutant, ABA synthesis is upregulated, which is accompanied by enhanced expression of SAG3 and reduction of chlorophyll content in leaves. Together, these results demonstrate a role of the JA synthetic gene KAT-2B in controlling GW and its potential application value for wheat improvement.

It has been reported that several phytohormones are involved in the regulation of grain weight, but the role of jasmonic acids (JA) remains elusive. Here, via bulked segregant analysis (BSA)-based cloning, the authors show keto-acyl thiolase 2B involved in β-oxidation during JA synthesis is a positive regulator of wheat grain weight.

Simple liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry method for the quantification of galacto-oxylipin arabidopsides in plant samples

A simple and sensitive method to quantify five different arabidopsides by HPLC—ion trap mass spectrometry in complex plant samples was developed and validated. Arabidopsides are oxidized galactolipids first described in Arabidopsis thaliana but also produced by other plant species under stress conditions. External calibration was performed using arabidopsides purified from freeze-thawed Arabidopsis leaves. Lipids were extracted and pre-purified on an SPE silica column before HPLC–MS analysis. Arabidopsides were separated on a C18 column using a gradient of mQ water and acetonitrile:mQ water (85:15) supplemented with formic acid (0.2%) and ammonium formate (12 mM). The method was validated according to European commission decision 2002/657/CE. LOD, LOQ, linearity, intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy, selectivity, matrix effects and recoveries were determined for the five metabolites. The established method is highly selective in a complex plant matrix. LOD and LOQ were, respectively, in the range 0.098–0.78 and 0.64–1.56 µM, allowing the arabidopside quantification from 25.6–62.4 nmol/g fresh weight. Calibration curve correlation coefficients were higher than 0.997. Matrix effects ranged from -2.09% to 6.10% and recoveries between 70.7% and 109%. The method was successfully applied to complex plant matrixes: Arabidopsis thaliana and Nasturtium officinale.

Leaf Lipid Alterations in Response to Heat Stress of Arabidopsis thaliana

In response to elevated temperatures, plants alter the activities of enzymes that affect lipid composition. While it has long been known that plant leaf membrane lipids become less unsaturated in response to heat, other changes, including polygalactosylation of galactolipids, head group acylation of galactolipids, increases in phosphatidic acid and triacylglycerols, and formation of sterol glucosides and acyl sterol glucosides, have been observed more recently. In this work, by measuring lipid levels with mass spectrometry, we confirm the previously observed changes in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf lipids under three heat stress regimens. Additionally, in response to heat, increased oxidation of the fatty acyl chains of leaf galactolipids, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols, and phosphatidylglycerols, and incorporation of oxidized acyl chains into acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerols are shown. We also observed increased levels of digalactosylmonoacylglycerols and monogalactosylmonoacylglycerols. The hypothesis that a defect in sterol glycosylation would adversely affect regrowth of plants after a severe heat stress regimen was tested, but differences between wild-type and sterol glycosylation-defective plants were not detected.

Molecular and genetic bases of heat stress responses in crop plants and breeding for increased resilience and productivity

To ensure the food security of future generations and to address the challenge of the 'no hunger zone' proposed by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), crop production must be doubled by 2050, but environmental stresses are counteracting this goal. Heat stress in particular is affecting agricultural crops more frequently and more severely. Since the discovery of the physiological, molecular, and genetic bases of heat stress responses, cultivated plants have become the subject of intense research on how they may avoid or tolerate heat stress by either using natural genetic variation or creating new variation with DNA technologies, mutational breeding, or genome editing. This review reports current understanding of the genetic and molecular bases of heat stress in crops together with recent approaches to creating heat-tolerant varieties. Research is close to a breakthrough of global relevance, breeding plants fitter to face the biggest challenge of our time.

Insights Into Oxidized Lipid Modification in Barley Roots as an Adaptation Mechanism to Salinity Stress

Lipidomics is an emerging technology, which aims at the global characterization and quantification of lipids within biological matrices including biofluids, cells, whole organs and tissues. The changes in individual lipid molecular species in stress treated plant species and different cultivars can indicate the functions of genes affecting lipid metabolism or lipid signaling. Mass spectrometry-based lipid profiling has been used to track the changes of lipid levels and related metabolites in response to salinity stress. We have developed a comprehensive lipidomics platform for the identification and direct qualification and/or quantification of individual lipid species, including oxidized lipids, which enables a more systematic investigation of peroxidation of individual lipid species in barley roots under salinity stress. This new lipidomics approach has improved with an advantage of analyzing the composition of acyl chains at the molecular level, which facilitates to profile precisely the 18:3-containing diacyl-glycerophosphates and allowed individual comparison of lipids across varieties. Our findings revealed a general decrease in most of the galactolipids in plastid membranes, and an increase of glycerophospholipids and acylated steryl glycosides, which indicate that plastidial and extraplastidial membranes in barley roots ubiquitously tend to form a hexagonal II (HII) phase under salinity stress. In addition, salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive cultivars showed contrasting changes in the levels of oxidized membrane lipids. These results support the hypothesis that salt-induced oxidative damage to membrane lipids can be used as an indication of salt stress tolerance in barley.

A Lipidomic Approach to Identify Cold-Induced Changes in Arabidopsis Membrane Lipid Composition

Lipid changes that occur in leaves of plants (e.g., Arabidopsis thaliana), during cold and freezing stress can be analyzed with electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, using high-throughput multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). An online tool, LipidomeDB Data Calculation Environment, is employed for mass spectral data processing.

Potential role of root membrane phosphatidic acid in superior agronomic performance of silage-corn cultivated in cool climate cropping systems

The literature is replete with information describing the composition of the root lipidome in several plant species grown under various environmental conditions. However, it is unknown to what extent the root membrane lipidome vary between silage-corn genotypes, and how such variation could influence agronomic performances during field cultivation in cool climate. To address this issue, the root membrane lipidome and agronomic performance were assessed for five silage-corn genotypes (Fusion-RR, Yukon-R, A4177G3-RIB, DKC23-17RIB, DKC26-28RIB) cultivated under cool climatic conditions. Leaf area, plant height and biomass production were used as agronomic performance indicators. Varieties DKC26-28RIB and Yukon-R expressed significantly higher leaf area, plant height and biomass production compared to the other genotypes. A strong positive Spearman rank-order correlation (P = 0.001) was observed between biomass production and root phosphatidic acid (PA). The high correlation observed between PA and agronomic performance indicates PA could potentially be used as biomarker to assist in the selection of silage-corn genotypes with superior agronomic performance ideally suited for field cultivations in cool climatic conditions.

Interaction and Regulation Between Lipid Mediator Phosphatidic Acid and Circadian Clock Regulators

Circadian clocks play important roles in regulating cellular metabolism, but the reciprocal effect that metabolism has on the clock is largely unknown in plants. Here, we show that the central glycerolipid metabolite and lipid mediator phosphatidic acid (PA) interacts with and modulates the function of the core clock regulators LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) and CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). PA reduced the ability of LHY and CCA1 to bind the promoter of their target gene TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 Increased PA accumulation and inhibition of PA-producing enzymes had opposite effects on circadian clock outputs. Diurnal change in levels of several membrane phospholipid species, including PA, observed in wild type was lost in the LHY and CCA1 double knockout mutant. Storage lipid accumulation was also affected in the clock mutants. These results indicate that the interaction of PA with the clock regulator may function as a cellular conduit to integrate the circadian clock with lipid metabolism.

FERONIA mutation induces high levels of chloroplast-localized Arabidopsides which are involved in root growth

The FERONIA (FER) signaling pathway is known to have diverse roles in Arabidopsis thaliana, such as growth, reproduction, and defense, but how this receptor kinase is involved in various biological processes is not well established. In this work, we applied multiple mass spectrometry techniques to identify metabolites involved in the FER signaling pathway and to understand their biological roles. A direct infusion Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR)-MS approach was used for initial screening of wild-type and feronia (fer) mutant plant extracts, and Arabidopsides were found to be significantly enriched in the mutant. As Arabidopsides are known to be induced by wounding, further experiments on wounded and non-wounded leaf samples were carried out to investigate these oxylipins as well as related phytohormones using a quadrupole-time-of-flight (Q-TOF) MS by direct injection and LC-MS/MS. In a root growth bioassay with Arabidopside A isolated from fer mutants, the wild-type showed significant root growth inhibition compared with the fer mutant. Our results therefore implicated Arabidopsides, and Arabidopside A specifically, in FER functions and/or signaling. Finally, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS imaging (MALDI-MSI) was used to visualize the localization of Arabidopsides, and we confirmed that Arabidopsides are highly abundant at wounding sites in both wild-type and fer mutant leaves. More significantly, five micron high-spatial resolution MALDI-MSI revealed that Arabidopsides are localized to the chloroplasts where many stress signaling molecules are made.

Lipid remodelling plays an important role in wheat (Triticum aestivum) hypoxia stress

Membrane lipid remodelling is one of the strategies that plants have developed to combat abiotic stress. In this study, physiological, lipidomic and proteome analyses were conducted to investigate the changes in glycerolipid and phospholipid concentrations in the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars CIGM90.863 and Seri M82 under hypoxia treatment. The growth of CIGM90.863 remained unaffected, whereas Seri M82 was significantly stunted after 8 days of hypoxia treatment. The concentrations of all lipids except lysophosphatidylglycerol were significantly higher in the leaves of Seri M82 than in CIGM90.863 under normal growth conditions. The lipid profile changed significantly under hypoxia stress and varied between genotypes for some of the lipids. Phosphatidic acids remained unchanged in Seri M82 but they were gradually induced in CIGM90.863 in response to hypoxia stress because of the higher phospholipase D expression and lower expression of diglycerol kinase and phosphatidate phosphatases. In contrast, digalactosyldiacylglycerol content was highly stable in CIGM90.863 following hypoxia treatment, although it decreased significantly in Seri M82. Phosphatidylglycerol and lipoxygenase showed a stronger and faster response in CIGM90.863 than in Seri M82 under hypoxia stress. Different membrane lipid adjustments in wheat under oxygen deficiency conditions could be partly responsible for the differing tolerance of Seri M82 and CIGM90.863. This study will help us to better understand how wheat tolerates hypoxia stress by regulating lipid remodelling.

Non-Enzymatic Synthesis of Bioactive Isoprostanoids in the Diatom Phaeodactylum following Oxidative Stress

The ecological success of diatoms requires a remarkable ability to survive many types of stress, including variations in temperature, light, salinity, and nutrient availability. On exposure to these stresses, diatoms exhibit common responses, including growth arrest, impairment of photosynthesis, production of reactive oxygen species, and accumulation of triacylglycerol (TAG). We studied the production of cyclopentane oxylipins derived from fatty acids in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum in response to oxidative stress. P. tricornutum lacks the enzymatic pathway for producing cyclopentane-oxylipins, such as jasmonate, prostaglandins, or thromboxanes. In cells subjected to increasing doses of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), we detected nonenzymatic production of isoprostanoids, including six phytoprostanes, three F_2t-isoprostanes, two F_3t-isoprostanes, and three F_4t-neuroprostanes, by radical peroxidation of α-linolenic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexanoic acids, respectively. H₂O₂ also triggered photosynthesis impairment and TAG accumulation. F_1t-phytoprostanes constitute the major class detected (300 pmol per 1 million cells; intracellular concentration, ∼4 µm). Only two glycerolipids, phosphatidylcholine and diacylglycerylhydroxymethyl-trimethyl-alanine, could provide all substrates for these isoprostanoids. Treatment of P. tricornutum with nine synthetic isoprostanoids produced an effect in the micromolar range, marked by the accumulation of TAG and reduced growth, without affecting photosynthesis. Therefore, the emission of H₂O₂ and free radicals upon exposure to stresses can lead to glycerolipid peroxidation and nonenzymatic synthesis of isoprostanoids, inhibiting growth and contributing to the induction of TAG accumulation via unknown processes. This characterization of nonenzymatic oxylipins in P. tricornutum opens a field of research on the study of processes controlled by isoprostanoid signaling in various physiological and environmental contexts in diatoms.

Alterations in wheat pollen lipidome during high day and night temperature stress

Understanding the adaptive changes in wheat pollen lipidome under high temperature (HT) stress is critical to improving seed set and developing HT tolerant wheat varieties. We measured 89 pollen lipid species under optimum and high day and/or night temperatures using electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry in wheat plants. The pollen lipidome had a distinct composition compared with that of leaves. Unlike in leaves, 34:3 and 36:6 species dominated the composition of extraplastidic phospholipids in pollen under optimum and HT conditions. The most HT-responsive lipids were extraplastidic phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylserine. The unsaturation levels of the extraplastidic phospholipids decreased through the decreases in the levels of 18:3 and increases in the levels of 16:0, 18:0, 18:1, and 18:2 acyl chains. PC and PE were negatively correlated. Higher PC:PE at HT indicated possible PE-to-PC conversion, lower PE formation, or increased PE degradation, relative to PC. Correlation analysis revealed lipids experiencing coordinated metabolism under HT and confirmed the HT responsiveness of extraplastidic phospholipids. Comparison of the present results on wheat pollen with results of our previous research on wheat leaves suggests that similar lipid changes contribute to HT adaptation in both leaves and pollen, though the lipidomes have inherently distinct compositions.

Cytidinediphosphate-diacylglycerol synthase 5 is required for phospholipid homeostasis and is negatively involved in hyperosmotic stress tolerance

Cytidinediphosphate diacylglycerol synthase (CDS) uses phosphatidic acid (PA) and cytidinetriphosphate to produce cytidinediphosphate-diacylglycerol, an intermediate for phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) synthesis. This study shows that CDS5, one of the five CDSs of the Oryza sativa (rice) genome, has multifaceted effects on plant growth and stress responses. The loss of CDS5 resulted in a decrease in PG and PI levels, defective thylakoid membranes, pale leaves in seedlings and growth retardation. In addition, the loss of CDS5 led to an elevated PA level and enhanced hyperosmotic tolerance. The inhibition of phospholipase D (PLD)-derived PA formation in cds5 restored the hyperosmotic stress tolerance of the mutant phenotype to that of the wild type, suggesting that CDS5 functions as a suppressor in PLD-derived PA signaling and negatively affects hyperosmotic stress tolerance.

Chloroplast Galactolipids: The Link Between Photosynthesis, Chloroplast Shape, Jasmonates, Phosphate Starvation and Freezing Tolerance

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) together constitute approximately 80% of chloroplast lipids. Apart from facilitating the photosynthesis light reaction in the thylakoid membrane, these two lipids are important for maintaining chloroplast morphology and for plant survival under abiotic stresses such as phosphate starvation and freezing. Recently it was shown that severe growth retardation phenotypes of the DGDG-deficient mutant dgd1 were due to jasmonate overproduction, linking MGDG and DGDG homeostasis with phytohormone production and suggesting MGDG as a major substrate for jasmonate biosynthesis. Induction of jasmonate synthesis and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling was also observed under conditions of phosphate starvation. We hypothesize that when DGDG is recruited to substitute for phospholipids in extraplastidic membranes during phosphate deficiency, the altered MGDG to DGDG ratio in the chloroplast envelope triggers the conversion of galactolipids into jasmonates. The conversion may contribute to rebalancing the MGDG to DGDG ratio rapidly to maintain chloroplast shape, and jasmonate production can reduce the growth rate and enhance predator deterrence. We also hypothesize that other conditions, such as suppression of dgd1 phenotypes by trigalactosyldiacylglycerol (tgd) mutations, may all be linked to altered jasmonate production, indicating that caution should be exercised when interpreting phenotypes caused by conditions that may alter the MGDG to DGDG ratio at the chloroplast envelope.

High-Temperature Stress Alleviation by Selenium Nanoparticle Treatment in Grain Sorghum

The role of selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) in the mitigation of high-temperature (HT) stress in crops is not known. The uptake, toxicity and physiological and biological effects of Se-NPs under HT were investigated in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Se-NPs of size 10-40 nm were synthesized and characterized to indicate nanocrystalline structure. A toxicity assay showed that Se-NPs concentration inducing 50% cell mortality (TC50) was 275 mg L^-1. Translocation study indicated that Se-NPs can move from root to shoot of sorghum plants. Foliar spray of 10 mg L^-1 Se-NPs during the booting stage of sorghum grown under HT stress stimulated the antioxidant defense system by enhancing antioxidant enzymes activity. Furthermore, it decreased the concentration of signature oxidants. Se-NPs facilitated higher levels of unsaturated phospholipids. Se-NPs under HT stress improved the pollen germination percentage, leading to a significantly increased seed yield. The increased antioxidant enzyme activity and decreased content of oxidants in the presence of Se-NPs were greater under HT (38/28 °C) than under optimum temperature conditions (32/22 °C). In conclusion, Se-NPs can protect sorghum plants by enhanced antioxidative defense system under HT stress.

Structure Annotation and Quantification of Wheat Seed Oxidized Lipids by High-Resolution LC-MS/MS

Lipid oxidation is a process ubiquitous in life, but the direct and comprehensive analysis of oxidized lipids has been limited by available analytical methods. We applied high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to quantify oxidized lipids (glycerides, fatty acids, phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and galactolipids) and implemented a platform-independent high-throughput-amenable analysis pipeline for the high-confidence annotation and acyl composition analysis of oxidized lipids. Lipid contents of 90 different naturally aged wheat (Triticum aestivum) seed stocks were quantified in an untargeted high-resolution LC-MS experiment, resulting in 18,556 quantitative mass-to-charge ratio features. In a posthoc liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry experiment, high-resolution MS/MS spectra (5 mD accuracy) were recorded for 8,957 out of 12,080 putatively monoisotopic features of the LC-MS data set. A total of 353 nonoxidized and 559 oxidized lipids with up to four additional oxygen atoms were annotated based on the accurate mass recordings (1.5 ppm tolerance) of the LC-MS data set and filtering procedures. MS/MS spectra available for 828 of these annotations were analyzed by translating experimentally known fragmentation rules of lipids into the fragmentation of oxidized lipids. This led to the identification of 259 nonoxidized and 365 oxidized lipids by both accurate mass and MS/MS spectra and to the determination of acyl compositions for 221 nonoxidized and 295 oxidized lipids. Analysis of 15-year aged wheat seeds revealed increased lipid oxidation and hydrolysis in seeds stored in ambient versus cold conditions.

Mass spectrometric evidence for the modification of small molecules in a cobalt-60-irradiated rodent diet

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of radiation on the content of animal diet constituents using global metabolomics. Aqueous methanolic extracts of control and cobalt-60-irradiated Teklad 7001 diets were comprehensively analyzed using nano-liquid chromatography-MS/MS. Among the over 2000 ions revealed by XCMS followed by data preprocessing, 94 positive and 143 negative metabolite ions had greater than 1.5-fold changes and p-values <0.01. Use of MetaboAnalyst statistical software demonstrated complete separation of the irradiated and non-radiated diets in unsupervised principal components analysis and supervised partial least squares discriminant analysis. Irradiation led to an increase in the content of phytochemicals such as glucosinolates and oxidized lipids in the diet. Twenty-eight metabolites that were significantly changed in the irradiated samples were putatively identified at the level of molecular formulae by MS/MS. MS/MS^ALL analysis of chloroform-methanol extracts of the irradiated diet showed increased levels of a number of unique linoleic acid-derived branched fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids. These data imply that gamma irradiation of animal diets causes chemical changes to dietary components, which in turn may influence the risk of mammary cancer. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparative metabolomic analysis reveals a reactive oxygen species-dominated dynamic model underlying chilling environment adaptation and tolerance in rice

Cold, a major environmental stress for plants, has been studied intensively for decades. Its response system has been revealed, especially at the transcriptional level. The mechanisms underlying recovery growth and environmental adaptation, however, remain unknown. Taking advantage of a naturally existing system, two subspecies of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) with significant divergence in chilling tolerance, we analyzed representative japonica and indica varieties, Nipponbare and 93-11, using comparative metabolomic analysis at six time points covering chilling treatment and recovery. In total, 223 known metabolites were detected. During chilling treatment, significant biochemical changes were centered on antioxidation. During recovery, a wide-ranging chilling response was observed. Large-scale amino acid accumulation occurred, consistent with the appearance of chilling injury. At the mid-treatment stage, the accumulation of antioxidation-related compounds appeared earlier in Nipponbare than in 93-11, consistent with the higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in japonica vs indica varieties. A significant contribution of ROS-mediated gene regulation, rather than the C-repeat binding factor/dehydration-responsive-element binding factor (CBF/DREB) regulon, to the more vigorous transcriptional stress response in Nipponbare was revealed by RNA-seq. Accordingly, during recovery, the induction of stress-tolerant-related metabolites was more active in the chilling-tolerant variety Nipponbare. Senescence-related compounds accumulated only in the chilling-sensitive variety 93-11. Our study uncovers the dynamic metabolic models underlying chilling response and recovery, and reveals a ROS-dominated rice adaptation mechanism to low-temperature environments.

The activity of HYDROPEROXIDE LYASE 1 regulates accumulation of galactolipids containing 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid in Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis produces galactolipids containing esters of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) and dinor-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (dnOPDA). These lipids are referred to as arabidopsides and accumulate in response to abiotic and biotic stress. We explored the natural genetic variation found in 14 different Arabidopsis accessions to identify genes involved in the formation of arabidopsides. The accession C24 was identified as a poor accumulator of arabidopsides whereas the commonly used accession Col-0 was found to accumulate comparably large amounts of arabidopsides in response to tissue damage. A quantitative trait loci analysis of an F2 population created from a cross between C24 and Col-0 located a region on chromosome four strongly linked to the capacity to form arabidopsides. Expression analysis of HYDROPEROXIDE LYASE 1 (HPL1) showed large differences in transcript abundance between accessions. Transformation of Col-0 plants with the C24 HPL1 allele under transcriptional regulation of the 35S promoter revealed a strong negative correlation between HPL1 expression and arabidopside accumulation after tissue damage, thereby strengthening the view that HPL1 competes with ALLENE OXIDE SYNTHASE (AOS) for lipid-bound hydroperoxide fatty acids. We further show that the last step in the synthesis of galactolipid-bound OPDA and dnOPDA from unstable allene oxides is exclusively enzyme-catalyzed and not the result of spontaneous cyclization. Thus, the results presented here together with previous studies suggest that all steps in arabidopside biosynthesis are enzyme-dependent and apparently all reactions can take place with substrates being esterified to galactolipids.

Wheat leaf lipids during heat stress: I. High day and night temperatures result in major lipid alterations

Understanding how wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants under high temperature (HT) regulate lipid composition is critical to developing climate-resilient varieties. We measured 165 glycerolipids and sterol derivatives under optimum and high day and night temperatures in wheat leaves using electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Levels of polar lipid fatty acyl chain unsaturation were lower in both heat-tolerant genotype Ventnor and susceptible genotype Karl 92 under HT, compared with optimum temperature. The lower unsaturation was predominantly because of lower levels of 18:3 acyl chains and higher levels of 18:1 and 16:0 acyl chains. Levels of 18:3-containing triacylglycerols increased threefold/more under HT, consistent with their possible role in sequestering fatty acids during membrane lipid remodelling. Phospholipids containing odd-numbered or oxidized acyl chains accumulated in leaves under HT. Sterol glycosides (SG) and 16:0-acylated sterol glycosides (ASG) were higher under HT than optimum temperatures. Ventnor had lower amounts of phospholipids with oxidized acyl chains under HT and higher amounts of SG and 16:0-ASG than Karl 92. Taken together, the data demonstrate that wheat leaf lipid composition is altered by HT, in which some lipids are particularly responsive to HT, and that two wheat genotypes, chosen for their differing physiological responses to HT, differ in lipid profile under HT.

Bioprospecting of Marine Macrophytes Using MS-Based Lipidomics as a New Approach

The marine environment supports a remarkable diversity of organisms which are a potential source of natural products with biological activities. These organisms include a wide variety of marine plants (from micro- to macrophytes), which have been used in the food and pharmaceutical industry. However, the biochemistry and biological activities of many of these macrophytes (namely macroalgae and halophytes, including seagrasses) are still far from being fully explored. Most popular bioactive components include polysaccharides, peptides, phenolics and fatty acids (FAs). Polar lipids (glycolipids, phospholipids and betaine lipids) are emerging as novel value-added bioactive phytochemicals, rich in n-3 FA, with high nutritional value and health beneficial effects for the prevention of chronic diseases. Polar lipids account various combinations of polar groups, fatty acyl chains and backbone structures. The polar lipidome of macrophytes is remarkably diverse, and its screening represents a significant analytical challenge. Modern research platforms, particularly mass spectrometry (MS)-based lipidomic approaches, have been recently used to address this challenge and are here reviewed. The application of lipidomics to address lipid composition of marine macrophytes will contribute to the stimulation of further research on this group and foster the exploration of novel applications.

Reduced Biosynthesis of Digalactosyldiacylglycerol, a Major Chloroplast Membrane Lipid, Leads to Oxylipin Overproduction and Phloem Cap Lignification in Arabidopsis

DIGALACTOSYLDIACYLGLYCEROL SYNTHASE1 (DGD1) is a chloroplast outer membrane protein responsible for the biosynthesis of the lipid digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) from monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG). The Arabidopsis thaliana dgd1 mutants have a greater than 90% reduction in DGDG content, reduced photosynthesis, and altered chloroplast morphology. However, the most pronounced visible phenotype is the extremely short inflorescence stem, but how deficient DGDG biosynthesis causes this phenotype is unclear. We found that, in dgd1 mutants, phloem cap cells were lignified and jasmonic acid (JA)-responsive genes were highly upregulated under normal growth conditions. The coronative insensitive1 dgd1 and allene oxide synthase dgd1 double mutants no longer exhibited the short inflorescence stem and lignification phenotypes but still had the same lipid profile and reduced photosynthesis as dgd1 single mutants. Hormone and lipidomics analyses showed higher levels of JA, JA-isoleucine, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid, and arabidopsides in dgd1 mutants. Transcript and protein level analyses further suggest that JA biosynthesis in dgd1 is initially activated through the increased expression of genes encoding 13-lipoxygenases (LOXs) and phospholipase A-Iγ3 (At1g51440), a plastid lipase with a high substrate preference for MGDG, and is sustained by further increases in LOX and allene oxide cyclase mRNA and protein levels. Our results demonstrate a link between the biosynthesis of DGDG and JA.

The Arabidopsis ABHD11 Mutant Accumulates Polar Lipids in Leaves as a Consequence of Absent Acylhydrolase Activity

Alpha/beta hydrolase domain (ABHD)-containing proteins are structurally related with diverse catalytic activities. In various species, some ABHD proteins have been characterized and shown to play roles in lipid homeostasis. However, little is known about ABHD proteins in plants. Here, we characterized AT4G10030 (AtABHD11), an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) homolog of a human ABHD11 gene. In silico analyses of AtABHD11 revealed homology with other plant species with a conserved GXSXG lipid motif. Interestingly, Arabidopsis abhd11 mutant plants exhibited an enhanced growth rate compared with wild-type plants. Quantitative analyses of the total lipids showed that the mutant abhd11 has a high amount of phospholipid and galactolipid in Arabidopsis leaves. The overexpression of AtABHD11 in Escherichia coli led to a reduction in phospholipid levels. The bacterially expressed recombinant AtABHD11 hydrolyzed lyso(phospho)lipid and monoacylglycerol. Furthermore, using whole-genome microarray and real-time PCR analyses of abhd11 and wild-type plants, we noted the up-regulation of MGD1, -2, and -3 and DGD1. Together, these findings suggested that AtABHD11 is a lyso(phospho)lipase. The disruption of AtABHD11 caused the accumulation of the polar lipids in leaves, which in turn promoted a higher growth rate compared with wild-type plants.

Acylated monogalactosyl diacylglycerol: prevalence in the plant kingdom and identification of an enzyme catalyzing galactolipid head group acylation in Arabidopsis thaliana

The lipid phase of the thylakoid membrane is mainly composed of the galactolipids mono- and digalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG and DGDG, respectively). It has been known since the late 1960s that MGDG can be acylated with a third fatty acid to the galactose head group (acyl-MGDG) in plant leaf homogenates. In certain brassicaceous plants like Arabidopsis thaliana, the acyl-MGDG frequently incorporates oxidized fatty acids in the form of the jasmonic acid precursor 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA). In the present study we further investigated the distribution of acylated and OPDA-containing galactolipids in the plant kingdom. While acyl-MGDG was found to be ubiquitous in green tissue of plants ranging from non-vascular plants to angiosperms, OPDA-containing galactolipids were only present in plants from a few genera. A candidate protein responsible for the acyl transfer was identified in Avena sativa (oat) leaf tissue using biochemical fractionation and proteomics. Knockout of the orthologous gene in A. thaliana resulted in an almost total elimination of the ability to form both non-oxidized and OPDA-containing acyl-MGDG. In addition, heterologous expression of the A. thaliana gene in E. coli demonstrated that the protein catalyzed acylation of MGDG. We thus demonstrate that a phylogenetically conserved enzyme is responsible for the accumulation of acyl-MGDG in A. thaliana. The activity of this enzyme in vivo is strongly enhanced by freezing damage and the hypersensitive response.

An enhanced plant lipidomics method based on multiplexed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry reveals additional insights into cold- and drought-induced membrane remodeling

Within the lipidome of plants a few bulk molecular species hamper the detection of the rest, which are present at relatively low levels. In addition, low-abundance species are often masked by numerous isobaric interferences, such as those caused by isoelemental species and isotopologues. This scenario not only means that minor species are underrepresented, but also leads to potential misidentifications and limits the structural information gathered by lipidomics approaches. In order to overcome these limitations we have developed a multiplexed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry lipidomics platform able to achieve an enhanced coverage of plant lipidomes. The platform is based on a single extraction step followed by a series of ultra-performance liquid chromatography separations. Post-column flow is then directed to both a triple quadrupole analyzer for targeted profiling and a time-of-flight analyzer for accurate mass analysis. As a proof of concept, plants were subjected to cold or drought, which are known to trigger widespread remodeling events in plant cell membranes. Analysis of the leaf lipidome yielded 393 molecular species within 23 different lipid classes. This enhanced coverage allowed us to identify lipid molecular species and even classes that are altered upon stress, allowing hypotheses on role of glycosylinositolphosphoceramides (GIPC), steryl glycosides (SG) and acylated steryl glycosides (ASG) in drought stress to be addressed and confirming the findings from numerous previous studies with a single, wide-ranging lipidomics approach. This extended our knowledge on membrane remodeling during the drought response, integrating sphingolipids and sterol lipids into the current glycerolipid-based model.

Methyl Jasmonate-Induced Lipidomic and Biochemical Alterations in the Intertidal Macroalga Gracilaria dura (Gracilariaceae, Rhodophyta)

The role of exogenously added methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a lipid-derived signaling compound, in inducing oxidative stress in the marine red macroalga Gracilaria dura was investigated. MeJA at a concentration of 1-100 µM was a strong stimulant of reactive oxygen species (H(2)O(2), HO· and O(2) (·-)) (P < 0.05) causing considerable oxidative stress in G. dura. This further led to lipid peroxidation and degradation of the pigments Chl a and phycocyanin, with a concomitant increase in phycoerythrin. The MeJA-induced oxidative burst also led to the induction of a fatty acid oxidation cascade, resulting in the synthesis of hydroxy-oxylipins and the up-regulation of the 13-lipoxygenase pathway. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomic analysis revealed that monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (a chloroplastic glycerolipid) and phosphatidylcholine (extrachloroplastidic phopholipid) were the most affected lipid classes. The degradation of 18:3-fatty acid-containing monogalactosyldiacylglycerol inferred that it provided fatty acyl chains for the biosynthesis of 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acid, which was further directed towards either the jasmonate pathway or other alternative pathways of the fatty acid oxidation cascade, analogous to higher plants. Also, G. dura modulated the lipid acyl chains in such a way that no significant change was observed in the fatty acid profile of the treated thalli as compared with those of the control, except for C16:0, C16:1 (n-9), C20:3 (n-6) and C20:4 (n-6) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, MeJA caused the accumulation of phenolic compounds and the up-regulation of enzymes involved in secondary metabolism such as polyphenol oxidase, shikimate dehydrogenase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, indicating a shift towards secondary metabolism as a defense strategy to combat the induced oxidative stress.

Arabidopsis AZI1 family proteins mediate signal mobilization for systemic defence priming

Priming is a major mechanism behind the immunological 'memory' observed during two key plant systemic defences: systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR). Lipid-derived azelaic acid (AZA) is a mobile priming signal. Here, we show that the lipid transfer protein (LTP)-like AZI1 and its closest paralog EARLI1 are necessary for SAR, ISR and the systemic movement and uptake of AZA in Arabidopsis. Imaging and fractionation studies indicate that AZI1 and EARLI1 localize to expected places for lipid exchange/movement to occur. These are the ER/plasmodesmata, chloroplast outer envelopes and membrane contact sites between them. Furthermore, these LTP-like proteins form complexes and act at the site of SAR establishment. The plastid targeting of AZI1 and AZI1 paralogs occurs through a mechanism that may enable/facilitate their roles in signal mobilization.

Phospholipase D and phosphatidic acid in plant defence response: from protein-protein and lipid-protein interactions to hormone signalling

Phospholipase Ds (PLDs) and PLD-derived phosphatidic acids (PAs) play vital roles in plant hormonal and environmental responses and various cellular dynamics. Recent studies have further expanded the functions of PLDs and PAs into plant-microbe interaction. The molecular diversities and redundant functions make PLD-PA an important signalling complex regulating lipid metabolism, cytoskeleton dynamics, vesicle trafficking, and hormonal signalling in plant defence through protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions or hormone signalling. Different PLD-PA signalling complexes and their targets have emerged as fast-growing research topics for understanding their numerous but not yet established roles in modifying pathogen perception, signal transduction, and downstream defence responses. Meanwhile, advanced lipidomics tools have allowed researchers to reveal further the mechanisms of PLD-PA signalling complexes in regulating lipid metabolism and signalling, and their impacts on jasmonic acid/oxylipins, salicylic acid, and other hormone signalling pathways that essentially mediate plant defence responses. This review attempts to summarize the progress made in spatial and temporal PLD/PA signalling as well as PLD/PA-mediated modification of plant defence. It presents an in-depth discussion on the functions and potential mechanisms of PLD-PA complexes in regulating actin filament/microtubule cytoskeleton, vesicle trafficking, and hormonal signalling, and in influencing lipid metabolism-derived metabolites as critical signalling components in plant defence responses. The discussion puts PLD-PA in a broader context in order to guide future research.

Modifications of membrane lipids in response to wounding of Arabidopsis thaliana leaves

Mechanical wounding of Arabidopsis thaliana leaves results in modifications of most membrane lipids within 6 hours. Here, we discuss the lipid changes, their underlying biochemistry, and possible relationships among activated pathways. New evidence is presented supporting the role of the processive galactosylating enzyme SENSITIVE TO FREEZING2 in the wounding response.

Lipid changes after leaf wounding in Arabidopsis thaliana: expanded lipidomic data form the basis for lipid co-occurrence analysis

A direct-infusion electrospray ionization triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry method with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was employed to measure 264 lipid analytes extracted from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana subjected to mechanical wounding. The method provided precise measurements with an average coefficient of variation of 6.1%. Lipid classes analyzed comprised galactolipids and phospholipids (including monoacyl molecular species, molecular species with oxidized acyl chains, phosphatidic acids (PAs)), tri- and tetra-galactosyldiacylglycerols (TrGDGs and TeGDGs), head-group-acylated galactolipids, and head-group-acylated phosphatidylglycerol (acPG), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDGs), sphingolipids, di- and tri-acylglycerols (DAGs and TAGs), and sterol derivatives. Of the 264 lipid analytes, 254 changed significantly in response to wounding. In general, levels of structural lipids decreased, whereas monoacyl molecular species, galactolipids and phosphatidylglycerols (PGs) with oxidized fatty acyl chains, PAs, TrGDGs, TeGDGs, TAGs, head-group-acylated galactolipids, acPG, and some sterol derivatives increased, many transiently. The observed changes are consistent with activation of lipid oxidizing, hydrolyzing, glycosylating, and acylating activities in the wounding response. Correlation analysis of the levels of lipid analytes across individual control and treated plants was used to construct a lipid dendrogram and to define clusters and sub-clusters of lipid analytes, each composed of a group of lipids which occurred in a coordinated manner. Current knowledge of metabolism supports the notion that observed sub-clusters comprise lipids generated by a common enzyme and/or metabolically downstream of a common enzyme. This work demonstrates that co-occurrence analysis, based on correlation of lipid levels among plants, is a powerful approach to defining lipids generated in vivo by a common enzymatic pathway.