Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2014, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (4): 504-513.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2014.00504

Previous Articles    

Progress in Methodology and Application of Plant Ionomics

Jirong Cao1, Guangyan Zhong2, Qibing Wang3*   

  1. 1College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China

    2Fruit Tree Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China

    3Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
  • Received:2014-04-09 Revised:2014-05-26 Online:2014-07-01 Published:2014-08-08
  • Contact: Qibing Wang

Abstract: Plant ionomics is the study of elemental composition, distribution and accumulation in plants in relation to physiology, biotic and abiotic stimuli, development, environment and genetics with high-throughput elemental profiling. Ionomics is essential to identify quantitative trait loci, to predict physiological states and to identify potential genes responsible for the uptake, transport, and storage of elements in plants. In this review, we briefly introduce the concepts of ionome and ionomics, present the methodology currently used in ionomic study, and discuss the applications of plant ionomics. We also review the current issues and challenges in ionomics with a focus on prospects in this field.