Dynamics of Short-Term Metabolic Profiling in Radish Sprouts (Raphanus sativus L.) in Response to Nitrogen Deficiency

Nitrogen (N) is a macronutrient important for the survival of plants. To investigate the effects of N deficiency, a time-course metabolic profiling of radish sprouts was performed. A total of 81 metabolites—including organic acids, inorganic acid, amino acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, amines, amide, sugar phosphates, policosanols, tocopherols, phytosterols, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and glucosinolates—were characterized. Principal component analysis and heat map showed distinction between samples grown under different N conditions, as well as with time. Using PathVisio, metabolic shift in biosynthetic pathways was visualized using the metabolite data obtained for 7 days. The amino acids associated with glucosinolates accumulated as an immediate response against –N condition. The synthesis of pigments and glucosinolates was decreased, but monosaccharides and γ-tocopherol were increased as antioxidants in radish sprouts grown in –N condition. These results indicate that in radish sprouts, response to N deficiency occurred quickly and dynamically. Thus, this metabolic phenotype reveals that radish responds quickly to N deficiency by increasing the content of soluble sugars and γ-tocopherol, which acts as a defense mechanism after the germination of radish seeds.