Multiomics analysis of primary metabolism reveals the genetic basis of nitrogen partitioning modulated by ZmAVT1A-1 in maize
摘要
Maize primary metabolism drives complex agronomic traits, yet its genetic regulation remains difficult to resolve. Here we integrated genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data from 1,404 maize progenies derived from 24 diverse founders to dissect the genetic architecture of primary metabolism. We constructed a high-confidence regulatory network that resolved causal genes underlying metabolic quantitative trait loci and successfully identified targets for improving maize nutritional quality. This systems-level framework further prioritized ZmAVT1A-1, encoding a putative amino acid transporter, as a key regulator of amino acid accumulation. Natural variation and transgenic analyses showed that ZmAVT1A-1 modulates nitrogen partitioning between vegetative tissues and kernels, revealing pleiotropic effects on agronomic traits. These findings illustrated the intricate trade-offs inherent in metabolic regulation. Together, our study provides a comprehensive multiomics resource for decoding metabolic networks and underscores the necessity of a systems approach to navigate the pleiotropic nature of crop improvement targets.