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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
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Sample Preparation for Single Cell Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics Studies: Combined Cell Washing, Quenching, Drying, and Storage
Published on: September 16, 2025
Subcellular metallomic networks orchestrate physiological outcomes: Single-cell mapping via an integrated
Mengzhu Cheng1,2, Lihong Wang1, Ziwei Wang1
1Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Shandong 261325, China.
Summary
Plant cells organize essential, toxic, and nonessential metal elements (MEs) within organelles for function. New imaging reveals how lanthanum and cadmium disrupt this organization, impacting plant growth and physiology through distinct mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Biogeochemistry
- Cellular Imaging
Background:
- Subcellular spatial organization of metal elements (MEs) is crucial for plant physiology.
- Comprehensive imaging of the full ME spectrum at the subcellular level is challenging due to resolution and coverage limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply an integrated imaging platform for high-fidelity, nanoscale mapping of ME distribution and ultrastructure.
- To investigate the impact of lanthanum (La) and cadmium (Cd) on subcellular ME organization and plant physiology.
Main Methods:
- Integrated scanning electron microscopy-focused ion beam-time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (SEM-FIB-TOF-SIMS) platform.
- High-resolution, nanoscale coregistration of ultrastructure with ME distribution.
- Application to Arabidopsis, soybean, and wheat to construct single-cell metallome maps.
Main Results:
- Revealed conserved subcellular architecture: chloroplasts enrich essential MEs, vacuoles compartmentalize nonessential/toxic MEs.
- Demonstrated dynamic remodeling of ME organization under stress (La, Cd).
- Identified distinct toxicity mechanisms: La(III) disrupts sequestration, Cd(II) causes systemic collapse, both impacting growth and photosynthesis.
Conclusions:
- Subcellular ME networks are dynamically regulated and orchestrate physiological outcomes.
- La and Cd perturb metallomic networks via distinct cross-toxicity mechanisms.
- The developed imaging platform enables high-fidelity metallomics research.
