Mini-Review / Perspective / Commentary: The presence of oxygenated lipids in plant defense in response to biotic stress: a metabolomics appraisal

Recent lipid-based findings suggest more direct roles for fatty acids and their degradation products in inducing/modulating various aspects of plant defense, e.g. as signaling molecules following stress responses that may regulate plant innate immunity. The synthesis of oxylipins is a highly dynamic process and occurs in both a developmentally regulated mode and in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. This mini-review summarizes the occurrence of free - and oxygenated fatty add derivatives in plants as part of an orchestrated metabolic defense against pathogen attack. Oxygenated C18 derived polyunsaturated fatty acids were identified by untargeted metabolomics studies of a number of different plant-microbe pathosystems and may serve as potential biomarkers of oxidative stress. Untargeted metabolomics in combination with targeted lipidomics, can uncover previously unrecognized aspects of lipid mobilization during plant defense.

Automated summary

Recent lipid-based findings suggest that fatty acids and their degradation products play direct roles in plant defense, particularly as signaling molecules regulating plant immunity. The synthesis of oxylipins is a dynamic process influenced by development and stress responses, and oxygenated C18 derived polyunsaturated fatty acids have been identified as potential biomarkers of oxidative stress in plant-microbe interactions. Untargeted metabolomics combined with targeted lipidomics can reveal novel aspects of lipid mobilization in plant defense.