Metabolomics and transcriptomics strategies to reveal the mechanism of diversity of maize kernel color and quality.

Background: Maize has many kernel colors, from white to dark black. However, research on the color and nutritional quality of the different varieties is limited. The color of the maize grain is an important characteristic.

Association of the molecular regulation of ear leaf senescence/stress response and photosynthesis/metabolism with heterosis at the reproductive stage in maize.

Maize exhibits a wide range of heterotic traits, but the molecular basis of heterosis at the reproductive stage has seldom been exploited. Leaf senescence is a degenerative process which affects crop yield and quality. In this study, we observed significantly delayed ear leaf senescence in the reciprocal hybrids of B73/Mo17 and Zheng58/Chang7-2 after silking, and all the hybrids displayed larger leaf areas and higher stems with higher yields.