27 February 2024 | Ali Raza, Hajar Salehi, Shanza Bashir, Javarla Tabassum, Monica Jamla, Sidra Charagh, Rutwik Barmukh, Rakeeb Ahmad Mir, Basharat Ahmad Bhat, Muhammad Arshad Javed, Dong-Xing Guan, Reyazul Rouf Mir, Kadambot H. M. Siddique, Rajeev K. Varshney
Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics interventions help improve crops against metal(loid) toxicity. Metal(loid) toxicity is a growing problem in agriculture due to climate change and human activities, affecting crop productivity and food security. Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to combat metal(loid) stress, and omics technologies like transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are transforming our understanding of these mechanisms. These technologies help identify genes, proteins, and metabolites involved in metal(loid) stress responses and tolerance, which can be used to develop high-yielding crops with desirable traits. Computational tools like bioinformatics and databases support these approaches by analyzing data and mapping genotype-to-phenotype relationships under stress conditions. This review explores strategies plants use to adapt to metal(loid) toxicity, recent findings in transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studies, integration of omics data with AI and high-throughput phenotyping, bioinformatics databases and tools, and insights into stress adaptation and tolerance mechanisms. The review also highlights the potential of omics advances for creating sustainable and resilient crops in metal(loid)-contaminated environments. Metal(loid) toxicity is a global food safety concern as these elements enter the food chain daily, leading to biomagnification and health risks. Plants have evolved strategies to mitigate metal(loid) effects, including restriction and detoxification mechanisms. Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying metal(loid) tolerance. These approaches help identify key genes, proteins, and metabolites involved in metal(loid) stress responses and tolerance, which can be used to improve crop resilience. Proteomics studies have identified key proteins involved in metal(loid) transport and detoxification. Metabolomics studies have identified key metabolites involved in metal(loid) tolerance. Integrating omics approaches provides a comprehensive understanding of metal(loid) tolerance mechanisms. This review highlights the potential of omics technologies for developing metal(loid)-tolerant crops.Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics interventions help improve crops against metal(loid) toxicity. Metal(loid) toxicity is a growing problem in agriculture due to climate change and human activities, affecting crop productivity and food security. Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to combat metal(loid) stress, and omics technologies like transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are transforming our understanding of these mechanisms. These technologies help identify genes, proteins, and metabolites involved in metal(loid) stress responses and tolerance, which can be used to develop high-yielding crops with desirable traits. Computational tools like bioinformatics and databases support these approaches by analyzing data and mapping genotype-to-phenotype relationships under stress conditions. This review explores strategies plants use to adapt to metal(loid) toxicity, recent findings in transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studies, integration of omics data with AI and high-throughput phenotyping, bioinformatics databases and tools, and insights into stress adaptation and tolerance mechanisms. The review also highlights the potential of omics advances for creating sustainable and resilient crops in metal(loid)-contaminated environments. Metal(loid) toxicity is a global food safety concern as these elements enter the food chain daily, leading to biomagnification and health risks. Plants have evolved strategies to mitigate metal(loid) effects, including restriction and detoxification mechanisms. Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying metal(loid) tolerance. These approaches help identify key genes, proteins, and metabolites involved in metal(loid) stress responses and tolerance, which can be used to improve crop resilience. Proteomics studies have identified key proteins involved in metal(loid) transport and detoxification. Metabolomics studies have identified key metabolites involved in metal(loid) tolerance. Integrating omics approaches provides a comprehensive understanding of metal(loid) tolerance mechanisms. This review highlights the potential of omics technologies for developing metal(loid)-tolerant crops.