title: Corn hybrids display lower metabolite variability and complex metabolite inheritance patterns.
abstract: We conducted a comparative analysis of the root metabolome of six parental maize inbred lines and their 14 corresponding hybrids showing fresh weight heterosis. We demonstrated that the metabolic profiles not only exhibit distinct features for each hybrid line compared with its parental lines, but also separate reciprocal hybrids. Reconstructed metabolic networks, based on robust correlations between metabolic profiles, display a higher network density in most hybrids as compared with the corresponding inbred lines. With respect to metabolite level inheritance, additive, dominant and overdominant patterns are observed with no specific overrepresentation. Despite the observed complexity of the inheritance pattern, for the majority of metabolites the variance observed in all 14 hybrids is lower compared with inbred lines. Deviations of metabolite levels from the average levels of the hybrids correlate negatively with biomass, which could be applied for developing predictors of hybrid performance based on characteristics of metabolite patterns.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany. lisec@mpimp-golm.mpg.de
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lisec
authors.forename: Lilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Römisch-Margl
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nikoloski
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Piepho
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giavalisco
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Selbig
authors.forename: Alfons
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gierl
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Willmitzer
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005838:Genotype; D006823:Hybrid Vigor; D007178:Inbreeding; D040582:Inheritance Patterns; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D055442:Metabolome; D055432:Metabolomics; D008954:Models, Biological; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts