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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Plant Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409422
Research Project: Improving Soybean Seed Composition, Plant Productivity, and Resilience to Climate Change Through Biological Network Modification

Location: Plant Genetics Research

Title: The call to all for metabolic flux analysis: basic considerations to advanced applications and tomorrow’s opportunities

Author
item KOLEY, SOMNATH - Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
item JYOTI, POONAM - Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
item LINGWAN, MANEESH - Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
item Allen, Douglas - Doug

Submitted to: New Phytologist
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Not required for review articles.

Technical Abstract: The partitioning of resources through metabolism in plants enables growth, confers resilience to stress, and establishes crop yield. Therefore, a mechanistic understanding of plant metabolism is crucial to sustainably feed and fuel a growing population on less land with future altered climates. Metabolic fluxes that quantify the intracellular conversion rates of biochemical pathways, are often not directly measured, with the exception of nutrient consumption or end-product formation. Fluxes are inferred by tracking the movement of isotopes through bond breaking and reforming reactions which makes their assessment challenging. This invited review provides a brief description of a scientific methodology referred to as 'metabolic flux analysis'. Here we describe the steps in the process along with tips for achieving best results and highlight recent literature including salient findings for plant biology that can advance our understanding of how to rationally augment plant metabolism for human needs.