Sense to synthesis: Metabolic adaptation to environments

Plants display remarkable metabolic plasticity for environmental adaptation. Precise spatiotemporal biosynthesis of specialized metabolites in plants is critical for such adaptation. Despite the vast chemical diversity unveiled hitherto, their functions in planta and their biosynthetic and regulatory mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Advancements in sequencing, multi-omics, and mass spectrometry-related techniques have enabled the discovery of unprecedented modes of action in both the functions and regulation of plant specialized metabolites. In this review, we synthesize recent advances in the elucidation of components involved in plant metabolic adaptation, highlighting the functional versatility, especially in signaling and developmental regulation of specialized metabolites, and the multi-layered regulatory networks that ensure swift response to changing environments. We anticipate that this update will collectively reframe the understanding of specialized metabolism as an active driver of plant adaptation. Emerging research frontiers and potential bioengineering prospects to develop environment-smart plants with adaptive metabolism are also discussed.