The 30th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR 2019)

463 / 2019-02-27 05:51:01

Integrated multi-omics and mass spectrometry imaging analysis of lipids during Arabidopsis autophagy

Multi-omics,mass spectrometry imaging,lipid,autophagy

Plenary track > Omics& New Technology

Understanding the remodeling of membrane lipid topology in plant cells has major consequences in optimizing plant biomass productivity. Autophagy is a critical cellular process which leads to changes in lipid composition, potentially through degradation of distinct lipid species. This in turn optimizes plant biomass productivity in response to environmental signals. In this study we analyzed the processes of membrane lipid dynamics as modulated by Arabidopsis mutations that a) block, b) modify the timing or c) constitutively activate autophagy. Transcriptomics and lipidomics strategies have been applied to identify differentially expressed lipid metabolism genes and lipid molecules, respectively. These specific target lipid molecules were further analyzed by mass spectrometry imaging, which delivers high-spatial resolution information on the distribution of these lipids. Distinct but interconnecting results from these multi-disciplinary technologies will shed light on the mechanism and regulation of autophagy and lipid-dynamics. These studies are exemplary of a generalizable strategy to assess metabolic processes that are non-symmetrically distributed at the cellular and subcellular levels of plant organs.