Multi-Omics Analyses Reveal Systemic Insights into Maize Vivipary.

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Genetics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Maize vivipary, or precocious germination, negatively affects yield and seed quality.
• Multi-omics approaches offer potential to elucidate the genetic and metabolic underpinnings of vivipary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular mechanisms of maize vivipary using transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses.
• To identify key genes, transcription factors, and metabolic pathways involved in maize vivipary.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on seven maize vivipary mutants.
• Integrated co-expression network analysis was used to link gene expression and metabolite profiles.

Main Results:

• Upregulation of transporters and transcription factors essential for seed germination was observed in all mutants.
• Antagonistic regulation between abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis (downregulated NCED4) and gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis (upregulated GA3ox) was identified.
• Metabolomics and co-expression analysis pinpointed unique metabolites and affected gene networks specific to each mutation.

Conclusions:

• Multi-omics analyses provide a comprehensive view of the transcriptional and metabolic changes during maize vivipary.
• These findings offer a valuable resource for developing strategies to enhance maize seed quality and prevent vivipary.