ArticleBMC plant biology2025
Multi-omics analysis of the maize ear diameter mutant3 (zmed3) provides insights into female inflorescence development.
Article in BMC plant biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe ear is a crucial component of grain yield in maize. Studying the mechanisms underlying ear development is therefore essential for genetic improvement and molecular breeding programs. Among various yield-influencing factors, ear development plays a central role, as it is orchestrated by the inflorescence meristem. This meristematic structure directly regulates key yield-related traits, including ear size, kernel number, and row arrangement.
resultsHere, we analyzed the zmed3 mutant, which shows flattened ear tip and disordered kernel rows, and is a single recessive mutation isolated from the Lx9801 breeding population. Using integrated transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses at the 4 mm stage of developing ears, we identified 1,589 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 181 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs), and 122 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in zmed3 mutants compared with normal siblings. These global omics changes were primarily associated with central carbon metabolism. Mutant zmed3 inflorescence meristems (IMs) were initially enlarged, switched to a more fasciated pattern, and finally led to impaired spikelet meristems (SMs). Transcriptomics suggested activation of the jasmonic acid signaling pathway, potentially affecting spikelet cell elongation. Proteomics indicated disruption of the MAPK signaling pathway, likely affecting spikelet cell polarity. Metabolomics demonstrated deficiencies in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and phenylpropanoid synthesis pathway, which in turn alter meristem cells differentiation and cell wall remodeling. Multi-omics integration uncovered a regulatory network involving cell cycle initiation, jasmonic acid signaling, and metabolic flux homeostasis, and pinpointed several candidate genes for future functional characterization.
conclusionsOur study not only identifies potential molecular mechanisms underlying maize ear development but also pinpoints precise targets for genetic improvement. These findings deepen our understanding of inflorescence biology and provide a theoretical framework for optimizing yield-related traits, thereby offering actionable insights for the design of molecular breeding strategies to enhance maize productivity.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.