EAPSI: Exploring the chemical contents of living plant cells to discover new and useful compounds

Martin Amanda C, Saint Paul MN

Investigators

Abstract

Plants chemically synthesize structurally complex molecules to interact with their environment. Some plant chemicals are ingredients in products including cosmetics and botanical supplements. The most common plant chemicals have been discovered and rediscovered leaving only those present at very low concentrations to be found. Chemicals structures can change when living tissue is harvest and those concentrated in specific plant parts may be diluted in complex plant extracts. A method capable of detecting tissue and cell specific compounds from live, intact plant material would be very useful. This research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tsutomu Masujima at the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center in Osaka, Japan. Dr. Masujima has developed a technique of live single cell mass spectrometry (LiveSC/MS). LiveSC/MS is capable of detecting hundreds of compounds in a non-destructive manner from individual cells in living plant tissue. Using LiveSC/MS to probe single plant cells may lead to the discovery of new compounds present at low concentrations that often are not detected by standard mass spectrometry methods. LiveSC/MS will be applied to medicinal plants to compare chemical profiles of intact live cells to those of a bulk extracts. The degree of cell heterogeneity and the distribution of specific chemicals among plant cells will be established. To increase the concentrations of novel compounds plants will be exposed to methyl jasmonate, a plant hormone that induces plant defense mechanisms including the synthesis of certain chemicals. Using LiveSC/MS to evaluate intact plant material may facilitate the discovery of novel compounds present at high levels in individual cells that are not detectable in homogenized bulk extractions. Development of LiveSC/MS using highly tractable plant cells will be applicable to other biological systems to better understand molecular biology on a cell specific level. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.