A combined approach to evaluate total phosphorus/inorganic phosphate levels in plants

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) and phosphorus (P) homeostasis are essential for plant growth and yield, and reliable detection of dynamic Pi/P in different tissues is important for studying their biological functions. Here, we report a combined protocol for rapid determination of Pi/P levels. We first perform 31P NMR assay to reveal the intracellular Pi distribution and then dissect the level of Pi/P by the chromogenic reaction and ICP-MS analysis. Finally, we take μXRF element fluorescence assay to achieve the visual P distribution. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ma et al. (2021). [Display omitted] •A combined protocol to evaluate total phosphorus/inorganic phosphate levels in plants•31P-NMR system is useful to detect plant intracellular Pi concentrations in vivo•High-efficiency detection of Pi and P concentration in all plant tissues•Visual detection of P distribution by μXRF element fluorescence in planta Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics. Inorganic phosphate (Pi) and phosphorus (P) homeostasis are essential for plant growth and yield, and reliable detection of dynamic Pi/P in different tissues is important for studying their biological functions. Here, we report a combined protocol for rapid determination of Pi/P levels. We first perform 31P NMR assay to reveal the intracellular Pi distribution and then dissect the level of Pi/P by the chromogenic reaction and ICP-MS analysis. Finally, we take μXRF element fluorescence assay to achieve the visual P distribution.