Constitutive metabolic signatures associated with partial resistance to fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in tropical maize inbred lines

Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

Phytoparasitica

Name of Author

• Nuambote Yobila Ovide, Université Kongo
• Anani Y. Bruce, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
• Clément Gilles, Université Paris-Saclay
• Stéphanie Boutet, Université Paris-Saclay
• Lan Laijiao, Sun Yat-Sen University
• Nègre Nicolas, Université de Montpellier
• Sokame Bonoukpoé, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi
• Mwangangi Enock, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi
• Makumbi Dan, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
• Togola Abou, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
• Prasanna Boddupalli, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
• Calatayud Paul-André, CNRS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Publication Date

3-1-2027

Abstract

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) poses a major threat to maize production in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the importance of identifying durable sources and biochemical markers of host-plant resistance. This study investigated the constitutive metabolic basis of partial FAW resistance in tropical maize by integrating insect bioassays with complementary GC–MS and LC–Q-TOF–MS profiling. Whole-leaf tissues collected before infestation from three resistant (Mp716, CML71, and CKSBL10008) and three susceptible (CML370, CKSBL10025, and CML444) inbred lines were analyzed, and the same tissues were incorporated into artificial diets to evaluate larval growth and feeding preference. Diets derived from resistant genotypes consistently reduced larval relative growth rates and were less preferred by neonates than diets derived from susceptible lines, providing evidence that pre-existing leaf chemistry contributes to both antibiosis- and antixenosis-associated resistance. GC–MS detected approximately 800 analytical features and highlighted resistance-associated trends in amino-acid, nitrogen, and central-carbon metabolism. LC–Q-TOF–MS detected approximately 1,700 features, with 384 differing significantly between resistance classes after false-discovery-rate correction, revealing extensive remodeling of specialized metabolism. Resistant lines were characterized by higher relative abundances of several putative amino acids, purine-related metabolites, phytosterols, and putative defense-associated compounds, including a DIMBOA-hexoside-related feature. In contrast, susceptible lines generally contained higher levels of putative soluble sugars, central-carbon metabolites, and several flavonoid- and phenylpropanoid-related features. Pathway analysis identified 28 differentially abundant consolidated metabolites and significant enrichment of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, indicating selective metabolic reconfiguration rather than generalized accumulation of secondary metabolites. Together, these findings demonstrate that partial FAW resistance is associated with a coordinated constitutive metabolic signature integrating nutritional composition and specialized defense chemistry. Although targeted and spatially resolved validation is required to establish the functions of individual metabolites, the identified signatures provide promising biochemical candidates for resistance screening and metabolomics-assisted breeding of FAW-resistant maize.

Keywords

Antibiosis, Antixenosis, Constitutive plant defense, Host plant resistance, Plant–insect interactions, Untargeted metabolomics, Zea mays

Recommended Citation

Ovide, N., Bruce, A., Gilles, C., Boutet, S., Laijiao, L., Nicolas, N., Bonoukpoé, S., Enock, M., Dan, M., Abou, T., Boddupalli, P., & Paul-André, C. (2027). Constitutive metabolic signatures associated with partial resistance to fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in tropical maize inbred lines. Phytoparasitica, 55 (1) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-026-01446-z