@article{deAbreueLimaWillmitzerNikoloski2018, author = {de Abreu e Lima, Francisco Anastacio and Willmitzer, Lothar and Nikoloski, Zoran}, title = {Classification-driven framework to predict maize hybrid field performance from metabolic profiles of young parental roots}, series = {PLoS one}, volume = {13}, journal = {PLoS one}, number = {4}, publisher = {PLoS}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0196038}, pages = {16}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food whose production relies on seed stocks that largely comprise hybrid varieties. Therefore, knowledge about the molecular determinants of hybrid performance (HP) in the field can be used to devise better performing hybrids to address the demands for sustainable increase in yield. Here, we propose and test a classification-driven framework that uses metabolic profiles from in vitro grown young roots of parental lines from the Dent x Flint maize heterotic pattern to predict field HP. We identify parental analytes that best predict the metabolic inheritance patterns in 328 hybrids. We then demonstrate that these analytes are also predictive of field HP (0.64 >= r >= 0.79) and discriminate hybrids of good performance (accuracy of 87.50\%). Therefore, our approach provides a cost-effective solution for hybrid selection programs.}, language = {en} } @article{deAbreueLimaLiWenetal.2018, author = {de Abreu e Lima, Francisco Anastacio and Li, Kun and Wen, Weiwei and Yan, Jianbing and Nikoloski, Zoran and Willmitzer, Lothar and Brotman, Yariv}, title = {Unraveling lipid metabolism in maize with time-resolved multi-omics data}, series = {The plant journal}, volume = {93}, journal = {The plant journal}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0960-7412}, doi = {10.1111/tpj.13833}, pages = {1102 -- 1115}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Maize is the cereal crop with the highest production worldwide, and its oil is a key energy resource. Improving the quantity and quality of maize oil requires a better understanding of lipid metabolism. To predict the function of maize genes involved in lipid biosynthesis, we assembled transcriptomic and lipidomic data sets from leaves of B73 and the high-oil line By804 in two distinct time-series experiments. The integrative analysis based on high-dimensional regularized regression yielded lipid-transcript associations indirectly validated by Gene Ontology and promoter motif enrichment analyses. The co-localization of lipid-transcript associations using the genetic mapping of lipid traits in leaves and seedlings of a B73 x By804 recombinant inbred line population uncovered 323 genes involved in the metabolism of phospholipids, galactolipids, sulfolipids and glycerolipids. The resulting association network further supported the involvement of 50 gene candidates in modulating levels of representatives from multiple acyl-lipid classes. Therefore, the proposed approach provides high-confidence candidates for experimental testing in maize and model plant species.}, language = {en} }