Genome-wide identification and characterization of small peptides in maize

Small peptides (sPeptides), a class of biological molecules of less than 100 amio acids encoded by small open reading frames (sORFs), play important roles in multiple biological process. Here, we conducted a comprehensive study using mRNA-seq, Ribo-seq, and Mass Spectrometry (MS) on six tissues (each with at least two replicates) of maize, set up a bioinformatic pipeline, and performed a genome-wide scan of sORFs and sPeptides in maize. Our study sets up a guildline for the genome-wide scan of sORFs and sPeptides in plants by integrating Ribo-seq, and MS data, provides a more comprehensive resource of functional sPeptides in maize, and sheds light on the complex biological system of plants in a new perspective.