González-Rodríguez Tzitziki, Pérez-Limón Sergio, Peniche-Pavía Héctor, Rellán-Álvarez Rubén, Sawers Ruairidh J H, Winkler Robert
Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) Irapuato, Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry, Mexico.
The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Plant Science, State College, PA, USA.
Plant Sci. 2023 Jan;326:111530. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111530. Epub 2022 Nov 8.
Plant metabolites are the basis of human nutrition and have biological relevance in ecology. Farmers selected plants with favorable characteristics since prehistoric times and improved the cultivars, but without knowledge of underlying mechanisms. Understanding the genetic basis of metabolite production can facilitate the successful breeding of plants with augmented nutritional value. To identify genetic factors related to the metabolic composition in maize, we generated mass profiles of 198 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and their parents (B73 and Mo17) using direct-injection electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DLI-ESI MS). Mass profiling allowed the correct clustering of samples according to genotype. We quantified 71 mass features from grains and 236 mass features from leaf extracts. For the corresponding ions, we identified tissue-specific metabolic 'Quantitative Trait Loci' (mQTLs) distributed across the maize genome. These genetic regions could regulate multiple metabolite biosynthesis pathways. Our findings demonstrate that DLI-ESI MS has sufficient analytical resolution to map mQTLs. These identified genetic loci will be helpful in metabolite-focused maize breeding. Mass profiling is a powerful tool for detecting mQTLs in maize and enables the high-throughput screening of loci responsible for metabolite biosynthesis.
植物代谢产物是人类营养的基础，在生态学中具有生物学意义。自史前时代以来，农民就选择具有优良特性的植物并改良品种，但并不了解其潜在机制。了解代谢产物产生的遗传基础有助于成功培育出营养价值更高的植物。为了鉴定与玉米代谢组成相关的遗传因素，我们使用直接进样电喷雾电离质谱法（DLI-ESI MS）对198个重组自交系（RILs）及其亲本（B73和Mo17）进行了质谱分析。质谱分析能够根据基因型对样品进行正确聚类。我们对谷粒中的71个质谱特征和叶片提取物中的236个质谱特征进行了定量分析。对于相应的离子，我们鉴定了分布在玉米基因组中的组织特异性代谢“数量性状基因座”（mQTLs）。这些遗传区域可以调控多种代谢产物的生物合成途径。我们的研究结果表明，DLI-ESI MS具有足够的分析分辨率来绘制mQTLs图谱。这些鉴定出的基因座将有助于以代谢产物为重点的玉米育种。质谱分析是检测玉米中mQTLs的有力工具，能够对负责代谢产物生物合成的基因座进行高通量筛选。
