Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32601735›Full record

ArticleMetabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society2020

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.

Ioannis F Kalampokis, Alexander Erban, Sotirios Amillis, George Diallinas, Joachim Kopka, Konstantinos A Aliferis

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Biology · 2026
    Article
  2. GC/EI/MS andMetabolites · 2023
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Ioannis F KalampokisLaboratory of Pesticide Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece.
Alexander ErbanMax-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1794-588X
Sotirios AmillisDepartment of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Panepistimioupolis, Athens, Greece.
George DiallinasDepartment of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Panepistimioupolis, Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-3426-726X
Joachim KopkaMax-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9675-4883
Konstantinos A AliferisLaboratory of Pesticide Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece. konstantinos.aliferis@aua.gr.ORCID 0000-0001-7933-465X
Agricultural University of Athens · GRMax Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology · DENational and Kapodistrian University of Athens · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe 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.

objectivesWithin 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.

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

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

conclusionThe 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.

Indexed as

Aspergillus nidulansCarbohydrate MetabolismChromatography, GasFungiGlycerolMetabolomeMetabolomicsPlant DiseasesSpectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-IonizationSpores, FungalTrehaloseGlycerolTrehaloseConidiospore germination inhibitionFungal metabolomicsOsmoregulators

Identifiers

PMID32601735
OpenAlexW3039769650

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.