LC-MS and LC-MS/MS dataset for the paper ???Cao A, Gesteiro N, Santiago R, Malvar RA and Butr??n A (2023) Maize kernel metabolome involved in resistance to fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination. Front. Plant Sci. 14:1160092"

The present dataset belongs to an untargeted metabolomic study proposed to uncover pathways implicated in resistance to Fusarium ear rot (FER) and fumonisin contamination in the maize kernel and to look for possible biomarkers, using maize inbreds genetically related but with contrasting levels of resistance. The dataset are LC-MS and LC-MS/MS experimental data for untargeted metabolomics of maize immature kernels extracts from eight recombinant inbred lines (RILs) with different level of resistance to FER and fumonisin accumulation at two sampling dates (3 and 10 days) after Fusarium verticillioides inoculation (dat). Spectral data were adquired in a LC-ESI-QTOF mass spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics). MS acquisition was performed in both negative and positive ionization modes for full scan and auto MS/MS, in a mass scan range of m/z 100-1200 with Bruker OTOF Control and DataAnalisys software (Bruker Daltonics). Raw data were converted to .mzML format with ProteoWizard MSConvert tool (Version: 3.0.23163-09bc765). FER and fumonisin resistant RILs are labeled as 1758, 1762, 1766, 1768; susceptible RILs are labeled as 1757, 1759, 1761, 1763. For each combination of RIL and sampling date three biological replicates were analized and can be found inside each RIL MS data .zip file. MS/MS data were obtained from a bulk of the 3 replicates for each RIL-sampling date combination and can be found in the MS/MS data .zip files. Discriminant metabolites between resistant and susceptible RILs were rather found at 10 than 3 dat. Differences for membrane lipid homeostasis, methionine metabolism, and indolacetic acid conjugation seemed highly relevant to distinguish between resistant and susceptible inbreds, confirming the polygenic nature of resistance to FER and fumonisin contamination in the maize kernels. Some specific metabolites such as the polyamine spermidine and/or the alkaloid isoquinoline seemed to be promising indirect selection traits to improve resistance to FER and reduce fumonisin accumulation.