Multi-omics analyses of 398 foxtail millet accessions reveal genomic regions associated with domestication, metabolite traits, and anti-inflammatory effects

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Xukai Li
  • Jianhua Gao
  • Jingyi Song
  • Kai Guo
  • Siyu Hou
  • Xingchun Wang
  • Qiang He
  • Yanyan Zhang
  • Yakun Zhang
  • Yulu Yang
  • Jiaoyan Tang
  • Hailang Wang
  • Mingquan Huang
  • Lishuai Xu
  • Linlin Zhong
  • Dongqin Li
  • Yongming Liu
  • Hua Wu
  • Xianmin Diao
  • Peng Chen
  • Xiaowen Wang
  • Yuanhuai Han

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica), which was domesticated from the wild species green foxtail (Setaria viridis), is a rich source of phytonutrients for humans. To evaluate how breeding changed the metabolome of foxtail millet grains, we generated and analyzed the datasets encompassing the genomes, transcriptomes, metabolomes, and anti-inflammatory indices from 398 foxtail millet accessions. We identified hundreds of common variants that influence numerous secondary metabolites. We observed tremendous differences in natural variations of the metabolites and their underlying genetic architectures between distinct sub-groups of foxtail millet. Furthermore, we found that the selection of the gene alleles associated with yellow grains led to altered profiles of metabolites such as carotenoids and endogenous phytohormones. Using CRISPR-mediated genome editing we validated the function of PHYTOENE SYNTHASE 1 (PSY1) gene in affecting millet grain color and quality. Interestingly, our in vitro cell inflammation assays showed that 83 metabolites in millet grains have anti-inflammatory effects. Taken together, our multi-omics study illustrates how the breeding history of foxtail millet has shaped its metabolite profile. The datasets we generated in this study also provide important resources for further understanding how millet grain quality is affected by different metabolites, laying the foundations for future millet genetic research and metabolome-assisted improvement.

Original languageEnglish
JournalMolecular Plant
Volume15
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)1367-1383
Number of pages17
ISSN1674-2052
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.

    Research areas

  • anti-inflammatory effects, foxtail millet, genetic association, metabolome, multi-omics, transcriptome

ID: 318547861