The utility of metabolomics as a tool to inform maize biology

Abstract

With the rise of high-throughput omics tools and the importance of maize and its products as food and bioethanol, maize metabolism has been extensively explored. Modern maize is still rich in genetic and phenotypic variation, yielding a wide range of structurally and functionally diverse metabolites. The maize metabolome is also incredibly dynamic in terms of topology and subcellular compartmentalization. In this review, we examine a broad range of studies that cover recent developments in maize metabolism. Particular attention is given to current methodologies and to the use of metabolomics as a tool to define biosynthetic pathways and address biological questions. We also touch upon the use of metabolomics to understand maize natural variation and evolution, with a special focus on research that has used metabolite-based genome-wide association studies (mGWASs).

Heat Stress-Mediated Constraints in Maize (Zea mays) Production: Challenges and Solutions

“…Primary metabolism produces precursors for secondary metabolite biosynthesis and plays a direct and central role in plant growth, development, and reproduction. It also produces precursors for secondary metabolite biosynthesis ( Medeiros et al, 2021 ). Secondary metabolites possess functional and chemical diversity ( Erb and Kliebenstein, 2020 ).…”

“…Secondary metabolites possess functional and chemical diversity ( Erb and Kliebenstein, 2020 ). Thousands of metabolites serve as mediators for the various interactions between plant and the environment ( Medeiros et al, 2021 ). During a stress response, plants fine-tune their metabolic production accordingly; however, the mechanisms, reasons, and regulations for this process are only partially understood.…”

Current State of Research in the Field of Chemical Composition and Pharmacological Effects of Zea Maydis Styli Cum Stigmatis

“…Среди флавоноидов КСР интерес исследователей в настоящее время вызывает, прежде всего, маизин и его аналоги, выделенные из КСР и изучаемые учеными различных стран в отношении установленных и потенциальных видов фармакотерапевтического действия данных соединений [13,14].…”

Normalizing and Correcting Variable and Complex LC–MS Metabolomic Data with the R Package pseudoDrift

“…Maize is among the most productive and economically important crops, with an annual production of over 700 million metric tons globally [ 5 ]. Many tools and technologies have facilitated previous maize improvement efforts, and future improvements will benefit from metabolomics-based research [ 6 ]. In particular, valuable insights are likely to come from larger scale metabolomic experiments and evaluations.…”