Zhang Yiru, Yao Xinjie, Tian Pengyu, Zhang Canran, Liu Xiaodong, Li Hongying, Han Yuanhuai
College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Taiyuan Normal University, Yuci, Shanxi 030619, China.
Houji Laboratory in Shanxi Province, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China.
Food Chem (Oxf). 2025 May 2;10:100259. doi: 10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100259. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Consumer-driven demand for premium foxtail millet necessitates systematic identification of quality-determining metabolites. This investigation employed integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to compare two contrasting cultivars - the elite variety Jingu 21 (JG21) and traditional landrace Niumaobai (NMB) - during two critical grain-filling stages. 552 metabolites were identified in both cultivars, with 144 showing differential abundance. Comparative analysis of early (S2) to late (S4) grain-filling stage revealed 108 co-regulated metabolites alongside 78 JG21-exclusive and 72 NMB-specific metabolites, exhibiting differential accumulation patterns likely governing quality divergence. Differential metabolites were predominantly enriched in flavonoid and phenylpropanoid pathways between cultivars, suggesting potential roles in modulating color, nutritional quality, and grain texture. Co-expression network predictions revealed cultivar-specific regulatory associations, with 10 candidate genes potentially governing six pigmentation/nutrition-related flavonoid metabolites, while another four genes showed tentative correlations with five lignin pathway intermediates that may contribute to grain texture variations between JG21 and NMB cultivars. These findings provide mechanistic insights into metabolic determinants of millet quality while establishing a framework for targeted breeding strategies to enhance both nutritional value and sensory characteristics in foxtail millet.
消费者对优质谷子的需求推动了对决定品质的代谢物进行系统鉴定。本研究采用综合代谢组学和转录组学分析方法，在两个关键的灌浆阶段比较了两个截然不同的品种——优良品种晋谷21（JG21）和传统地方品种牛毛白（NMB）。在两个品种中均鉴定出552种代谢物，其中144种表现出丰度差异。对灌浆早期（S2）至晚期（S4）的比较分析显示，有108种共调控代谢物，以及78种JG21特有的和72种NMB特有的代谢物，它们呈现出可能决定品质差异的不同积累模式。不同品种间差异代谢物主要富集在黄酮类和苯丙烷类途径中，表明其在调节颜色、营养品质和籽粒质地方面可能发挥作用。共表达网络预测揭示了品种特异性调控关联，有10个候选基因可能调控6种与色素沉着/营养相关的黄酮类代谢物，而另外4个基因与5种木质素途径中间体存在初步关联，这些中间体可能导致JG21和NMB品种间籽粒质地的差异。这些发现为谷子品质的代谢决定因素提供了机制性见解，同时为有针对性的育种策略建立了框架，以提高谷子的营养价值和感官特性。
