Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Specialized Metabolites for Predicting Lichen Fitness and Snail Foraging.

ABSTRACT: Lichens are slow-growing organisms supposed to synthetize specialized metabolites to protect themselves against diverse grazers. As predicted by the optimal defense theory (ODT), lichens are expected to invest specialized metabolites in higher levels in reproductive tissues compared to thallus. We investigated whether Laser Desorption Ionization coupled to Mass Spectrometry Imaging (LDI-MSI) could be a relevant tool for chemical ecology issues such as ODT. In the present study, this method was applied to cross-sections of thalli and reproductive tissues of the lichen Pseudocyphellaria crocata. Spatial mapping revealed phenolic families of metabolites. A quantification of these metabolites was carried out in addition to spatial imaging. By this method, accumulation of specialized metabolite

SUBMITTER: Gadea A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7020473 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature