Dataset Information

Untargeted metabolomics as a hypothesis-generation tool in plant protection product discovery: Highlighting the potential of trehalose and glycerol metabolism of fungal conidiospores as novel targets

ABSTRACT:

INTRODUCTION: The production of high quality and safe food represents a main priority for the agri-food sector in the effort to sustain the exponentially growing human population. Nonetheless, there are major challenges that require the discovery of new, alternative, and improved plant protection products (PPPs). Focusing on fungal plant pathogens, the dissection of mechanisms that are essential for their survival provides insights that could be exploited towards the achievement of the aforementioned aim. In this context, the germination of fungal spores, which are essential structures for their dispersal, survival, and pathogenesis, represents a target of high potential for PPPs. To the best of our knowledge, no PPPs that target the germination of fungal spores currently exist.

OBJECTIVES: Within this context, we have mined for changes in the metabolite profiles of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 conidiospores during germination, in an effort to discover key metabolites and reactions that could potentially become targets of PPPs.

METHODS: Untargeted GC/EI-TOF/MS metabolomics and multivariate analyses were employed to monitor time-resolved changes in the metabolomes of germinating A. nidulans conidiospores.

RESULTS: Analyses revealed that trehalose hydrolysis plays a pivotal role in conidiospore germination and highlighted the osmoregulating role of the sugar alcohols, glycerol, and mannitol.

CONCLUSION: The ineffectiveness to introduce active ingredients that exhibit new mode(s)-of-action as fungicides, dictates the urge for the discovery of PPPs, which could be exploited to combat major plant protection issues. Based on the crucial role of trehalose hydrolysis in conidiospore dormancy breakage, and the subsequent involvement of glycerol in their germination, it is plausible to suggest their biosynthesis pathways as potential novel targets for the next-generation antifungal PPPs. Our study confirmed the applicability of untargeted metabolomics as a hypothesis-generation tool in PPPs' research and discovery.

INSTRUMENT(S): Gas Chromatography MS - Positive (GC-MS (Positive))

SUBMITTER: Ioannis Kalampokis

PROVIDER: MTBLS1565 | MetaboLights | 2020-09-08

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights

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Dataset's files

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			Action	DRS
	MTBLS1565	Other
	FILES	Other
	a_MTBLS1565_Split_GC_mass_spectrometry.txt	Txt
	a_MTBLS1565_Splitless_GC_mass_spectrometry.txt	Txt
	i_Investigation.txt	Txt

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Publications

Untargeted metabolomics as a hypothesis-generation tool in plant protection product discovery: Highlighting the potential of trehalose and glycerol metabolism of fungal conidiospores as novel targets.

Kalampokis Ioannis F IF Erban Alexander A Amillis Sotirios S Diallinas George G Kopka Joachim J Aliferis Konstantinos A KA

Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society 20200629 7

<h4>Introduction</h4>The production of high quality and safe food represents a main priority for the agri-food sector in the effort to sustain the exponentially growing human population. Nonetheless, there are major challenges that require the discovery of new, alternative, and improved plant protection products (PPPs). Focusing on fungal plant pathogens, the dissection of mechanisms that are essential for their survival provides insights that could be exploited towards the achievement of the af ...[more]

PMID: 32601735

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