Trifluoromethanesulfonamide Induces Male Sterility Through Systemic Metabolic Reprogramming and Anther-Specific...

Area of Science:

• Metabolomics
• Plant Biology
• Crop Science

Background:

• Chemical hybridization agents (CHAs) are crucial for large-scale hybrid seed production.
• The precise metabolic mechanisms by which CHAs induce male sterility are not well understood.
• Understanding these mechanisms is vital for advancing pollen biology and crop breeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the metabolic basis of trifluoromethanesulfonamide (TFMSA) action.
• To analyze TFMSA-induced metabolic reprogramming across different species and tissues.
• To elucidate the role of metabolic changes in TFMSA-induced male sterility.

Main Methods:

• Integrated metabolomic analyses were performed on TFMSA-treated plants.
• Metabolic profiles were compared across multiple species and specific tissues (anthers, floral tissues).
• Pathway-level analyses were conducted to identify coordinated metabolic network modulations.

Main Results:

• TFMSA induced systemic metabolic reprogramming, notably affecting amino acid, central carbon, and one-carbon metabolism.
• Coordinated modulation of carbon-nitrogen metabolic networks was consistently observed across species.
• Tissue-specific changes included proline depletion in cowpea anthers and accumulation of certain amino acids in floral tissues.

Conclusions:

• TFMSA induces male sterility via coordinated metabolic reprogramming across tissues and species.
• Metabolic reprogramming leads to the depletion of essential metabolites for pollen development.
• This study provides a metabolic framework for understanding CHA-induced male sterility and highlights TFMSA's utility in studying pollen development regulation.