Metabolite Analysis of Tubers and Leaves of Two Potato Cultivars and Their Grafts

Abstract Background: Grafting experiments have shown that photoperiod-dependent induction of tuberisation in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is controlled by multiple overlapping signals, including mobile proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs and phytohormones. The interaction of vegetative organs and tubers at metabolite level, however, has not been studied in detail in potato.Results: Grafting experiments were carried out to unravel the influence of vegetative organs on the primary polar metabolite content of potato tubers and the effect of tuberisation on the metabolite content of leaves. Two potato cultivars, Hópehely (HP) and White Lady (WL), were homo- and hetero-grafted, and the effects of grafting were investigated in comparison to non-grafted controls. Non-targeted metabolite analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that the major difference between HP and WL tubers is in sucrose concentration. The sucrose level was higher in HP than in WL tubers and was not changed by grafting, suggesting that the sucrose concentration of tubers is genetically determined. The galactinol level was 8-fold higher in the WL leaves than in the HP leaves and, unlike the sucrose concentration of tubers, was altered by grafting. A positive correlation between the growth rate of the leaves and the time of tuber initiation was detected. The time of tuber initiation was delayed in the WL rootstocks by HP scions and shortened in the HP rootstocks by WL scions, supporting the previous finding that tuberisation is triggered by source-derived mobile signals.Conclusions: We identified the major polar metabolites in leaves and tubers of two commercial potato cultivars and tested the effect of grafting on the metabolite compositions in both organs. We found significant differences in metabolite concentrations of the two cultivars. The grafting did not change substantially the metabolite levels either in leaves or tubers with the exception of galactinol, the concentration of which was slightly influenced in leaves by rootstocks.