RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Chemical Imaging Reveals Diverse Functions of Tricarboxylic Acid Metabolites in Root Growth and Development
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.10.04.510836
DO 10.1101/2022.10.04.510836
A1 Tao Zhang
A1 Sarah E. Noll
A1 Jesus T. Peng
A1 Amman Klair
A1 Abigail Tripka
A1 Nathan Stutzman
A1 Casey Cheng
A1 Richard N. Zare
A1 Alexandra J. Dickinson
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/10/05/2022.10.04.510836.abstract
AB Understanding how plants grow is critical for agriculture and fundamental for illuminating principles of multicellular development 1. Here, we apply chemical mapping of the developing maize root using desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) 2. This technique reveals a range of small molecule distribution patterns across the gradient of stem cell differentiation in the root. To understand the developmental logic of these patterns, we examined tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites. In both Arabidopsis and maize, TCA metabolites are enriched in developmentally opposing regions, suggesting that stem-cell specific TCA metabolite localization may be conserved in evolutionarily divergent species. We find that these metabolites, particularly succinate, aconitate, citrate, and α-ketoglutarate, control root development in diverse and distinct ways. Critically, the effects of metabolites on stem cell behavior can be independent of their canonical role in ATP production. These results present new insights into development and suggest practical means for controlling plant growth.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.