The service group Chemical Analytics offers a broad range of analytical services in the fields of chromatography, mass spectrometry and atomic spectrometry for the research departments of INM, for groups of the university of Saarland and external costumers. In addition to the identification and quantification of your analytes, we optimize established methods according to your requirements and develop special analytical solutions to your specifications. Our analytical equipment includes instrumental methods like Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), Liquid chromatography (HPLC) with different detectors (RID, DAD and ESI-MS). Atomic spectrometric methods like Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) with Flame (FAAS) and Graphite Furnace (GFAAS) Atomisation, Optical Emission Spectrometry with Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP OES) and CHNOS analyses are also available. Our new High-Resolution Sector-Field ICP-MS quantifies analytes down to the lower ppt-range and the determination of isotope ratios and Single Particle analysis are also possible.
Team Members
Publications
Klatte, Marco | Schuler, Mara | Wirtz, Markus | Fink-Straube, Claudia | Hell, Rüdiger | Bauer, Petra
DOI:
Nicotianamine chelates and transports micronutrient metal ions in plants. It has been speculated that nicotianamine is involved in seed loading with micronutrients. A tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) mutant (chloronerva) and a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) transgenic line have been utilized to analyze the effects of nicotianamine loss. These mutants showed early leaf chlorosis and had sterile flowers. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) has four NICOTIANAMINE SYNTHASE (NAS) genes. We constructed two quadruple nas mutants: one had full loss of NAS function, was sterile, and showed a chloronerva-like phenotype (nas4x-2); another mutant, with intermediate phenotype (nas4x-1), developed chlorotic leaves, which became severe upon transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase and upon iron (Fe) deficiency. Residual nicotianamine levels were sufficient to sustain the life cycle. Therefore, the nas4x-1 mutant enabled us to study late nicotianamine functions. This mutant had no detectable nicotianamine in rosette leaves of the reproductive stage but low nicotianamine levels in vegetative rosette leaves and seeds. Fe accumulated in the rosette leaves, while less Fe was present in flowers and seeds. Leaves, roots, and flowers showed symptoms of Fe deficiency, whereas leaves also showed signs of sufficient Fe supply, as revealed by molecular-physiological analysis. The mutant was not able to fully mobilize Fe to sustain Fe supply of flowers and seeds in the normal way. Thus, nicotianamine is needed for correct supply of seeds with Fe. These results are fundamental for plant manipulation approaches to modify Fe homeostasis regulation through alterations of NAS genes.