Microarray expression data for iron and zinc stresses in maize

Elucidation of molecular basis of Iron and zinc homeostasis is crucial to breed iron and zinc use efficient and iron -zinc biofortified maize cultivars. The present investigation was framed to decipher the global expression snapshot maize seedlings in response to iron and zinc starvtion. Genome-wide transcriptome assay was performed with ~18,000 transcripts distributed across the maize genome, in maize seedlings after exposing the seedlings to three Fe and Zn stress treatments (+Fe–Zn, –Fe+Zn, –Fe–Zn) along with control (+Fe+Zn). Microarrays were used to study the global gene expression pattern iron and zinc starvation responsive genes in maize. Experiment was designed as a two-factor experiment with the four possible treatments among iron and zinc combination viz., 1) +Fe+Zn, 2) +Fe–Zn, 3) –Fe+Zn and 4) –Fe–Zn. Three biological replications were included in each treatment.