Bridging the gaps: advanced techniques to unlock lipid function in plant reproductive development

In plant cells, lipids serve various roles facilitating membrane bilayer formation, energy storage and signaling molecules. Acyl lipids are the most common in distinct plant cell compartments. Lipids regulated by key genes encoding fatty acid desaturases, diacylglycerol acyltransferase, 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase and acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs) are deemed crucial during floral development. ACBPs, along with long-chain acyl-CoA synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, acyl-acyl carrier protein desaturases, acyl-ACP thioesterases and the ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily A, contribute to fatty acid (FA) production, lipid transport and seed oil accumulation, making them bioengineering targets. To investigate lipid function, it is important to use appropriate analytical strategies because different lipid classes contain distinct FA patterns. These well-developed techniques include advanced lipidomic studies using multi-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging, lipid-binding assays and x-ray crystallography. As these techniques continue to evolve, further updates on lipid function are expected to rapidly materialize.