Lipid MRI in plant science: principles and potential areas of application

Abstract

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), long established in medical diagnostics, offers powerful, non-invasive capabilities for visualizing physiological processes in intact plants. This review focuses on the principles, recent advances, and future prospects of MRI-based lipid analysis in plant science with a particular focus on seeds. Cutting-edge, spatially resolved MRI has uncovered a remarkable compartmentation of lipid metabolism and storage. Lipid distribution patterns reflect the tissue- and cell-specific functional roles of lipids and are shaped by local metabolite gradients and other regulatory factors, including biomechanical and environmental stimuli. Recent innovations in MRI methodology now allow comprehensive, non-invasive monitoring of lipid storage and degradation dynamics in vivo. Looking ahead, the integration of MRI with deep learning and multimodal approaches heralds a transformative era for seed biology, oilseed phenotyping, and breeding.

Plant phenotyping relevance

植物の脂質分布・貯蔵・分解動態をMRIで非侵襲的に可視化・追跡する方法を扱うレビューであり、種子フェノタイピングへの応用も明示されているため、方法論が中心です。

Code and data availability

This is a review article on lipid MRI in plant science. The supplied blocks contain no public phenotype datasets, plant image/sensor data, author analysis code, trained models, or supplements with explicit public availability URLs. References to 'Supplementary Protocol S1' lack any deposit or access information, and no

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