Metabolomics and Its Application for Trait Improvement

Metabolites represent the last level of the realization of the genomic information.  In the framework of a linear thinking they are  most near to the complex phenotypes, in some cases they even represent the phenotype per se. It is thus not surprising that metabolomic data display a very high discriminative power between developmental states, different abiotic or biotic environments or genotypes. 

Mass spectrometry linked to a high resolution chromatographic system represent the core technology predominantly used to analyze the metabolome of  biological systems. We have developed three platforms allowing the high throughput analysis of primary and secondary metabolites and complex lipids resulting in the monitoring of several thousand small molecules in plant systems.

The high diagnostic power of metabolomic data and the vicinity to complex phenotypes make the metabolome a unique platform for modelling complex phenotypes.

The application of metabolomics for trait improvement will be discussed along two examples :

-          Use of metabolomics for identification of new loci/genes in lipid metabolism ( mQTL)

-          Use of metabolomics data to model complex traits such as general combining ability or biomass.