Metabolites in Cherry Buds to Detect Winter Dormancy.

Area of Science:

• Plant Physiology
• Metabolomics
• Phenology

Background:

• Winter dormancy in plants, particularly in fruit trees like sweet cherry, is crucial for survival but poorly understood in phenological models.
• Dormancy evasion of simple observation makes it a 'black box' in predicting plant development stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential metabolite markers for sweet cherry (cv. 'Summit') bud dormancy phases, specifically endodormancy and ecodormancy.
• To understand the metabolic shifts associated with the transition from dormancy to active growth.

Main Methods:

• Global metabolite profiling of sweet cherry flower buds using mass spectrometry.
• Analysis of 445 named metabolites across different substance groups.
• Correlation of metabolic changes with dormancy phases (endo- and ecodormancy) and developmental transitions.

Main Results:

• Detected 445 named metabolites in cherry buds, including amino acids, carbohydrates, phytohormones, and lipids.
• Observed a shutdown of energy metabolism (glycolysis, TCA cycle) during dormancy.
• Identified seven candidate metabolites, excluding abscisic acid (ABA), as potential markers for the ecodormancy phase due to their stable intensity during this period.

Conclusions:

• Metabolite profiling can provide insights into the complex processes of plant winter dormancy.
• Specific metabolites show potential as biomarkers for ecodormancy release in sweet cherry.
• Understanding these metabolic shifts can improve the accuracy of phenological models for fruit tree development.