Detection of Fungal Jasmonates by Liquid Chromatography Paired with Mass Spectrometry

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is one of the most important analytical chemistry techniques for the detection and characterization of biologically active compounds of low abundance-for example, hormones. Gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry has been a method of choice to detect jasmonic acid, the well-known defense hormone in plants. Recently, we identified structural and functional analogs of phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) and its derivatives, in the rice-blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Here, we describe protocols of LC-MS/MS-based identification and quantification of fungal jasmonates, especially during pathogenic development in the rice blast fungus.