Functional Counterpart Research Articles

The HST Large Programme on ω Centauri

We present a study of the white dwarf (WD) cooling sequence (CS) in the globular cluster (GC) Omega Centauri (or NGC 5139; hereafter, ω Cen), the primary goal of a dedicated Hubble Space Telescope (HST) programme. We find that the peak at the termination of the WD CS is located at mF606W = 30.1 ± 0.2 (equivalent to V ∼ 31). The brighter part of ω Cen’s WD CS is consistent with the presence of massive He-core WDs, in agreement with previous HST analyses with ultraviolet and blue filters. Comparative analyses of the WD luminosity function (LF) and theoretical counterparts show that a single-age population for the cluster is compatible with the data. However, an analysis of only the WD LF cannot entirely exclude the possibility of an age range, due to uncertainties in the present-day WD mass function, with a star formation history potentially spanning up to 5 billion years, predominantly comprising stars about 13 Gyr old, with a minority potentially as young as 8 Gyr. This underscores the need for global spectroscopic and photometric investigations that simultaneously include both the WD populations and the previous evolutionary phases, in order to fully understand the cluster’s diverse chemical compositions and ages.

Sex-specific growth and lifespan effects of germline removal in the dioecious nematode Caenorhabditis remanei.

Germline regulates the expression of life-history traits and mediates the trade-off between reproduction and somatic maintenance. However, germline maintenance in itself can be costly, and the costs can vary between the sexes depending on the number of gametes produced across the lifetime. We tested this directly by germline ablation using glp-1 RNA interference (RNAi) in a dioecious nematode Caenorhabditis remanei. Germline removal strongly increased heat-shock resistance in both sexes, thus confirming the role of the germline in regulating somatic maintenance. However, germline removal resulted in increased lifespan only in males. High costs of mating strongly reduced lifespan in both sexes and obliterated the survival benefit of germline-less males even though neither sex produced any offspring. Furthermore, germline removal reduced male growth before maturation but not in adulthood, while female growth rate was reduced both before and especially after maturation. Thus, germline removal improves male lifespan without major growth costs, while germline-less females grow slower and do not live longer than reproductively functional counterparts in the absence of environmental stress. Overall, these results suggest that germline maintenance is costlier for males than for females in C. remanei.

Elf1 promotes transcription-coupled repair in yeast by using its C-terminal domain to bind TFIIH

Transcription coupled-nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) removes DNA lesions that block RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription. A key step in TC-NER is the recruitment of the TFIIH complex, which initiates DNA unwinding and damage verification; however, the mechanism by which TFIIH is recruited during TC-NER, particularly in yeast, remains unclear. Here, we show that the C-terminal domain (CTD) of elongation factor-1 (Elf1) plays a critical role in TC-NER in yeast by binding TFIIH. Analysis of genome-wide repair of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) using CPD-seq indicates that the Elf1 CTD in yeast is required for efficient TC-NER. We show that the Elf1 CTD binds to the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of the p62 subunit of TFIIH in vitro, and identify a putative TFIIH-interaction region (TIR) in the Elf1 CTD that is important for PH binding and TC-NER. The Elf1 TIR shows functional, structural, and sequence similarities to a conserved TIR in the mammalian UV sensitivity syndrome A (UVSSA) protein, which recruits TFIIH during TC-NER in mammalian cells. These findings suggest that the Elf1 CTD acts as a functional counterpart to mammalian UVSSA in TC-NER by recruiting TFIIH in response to Pol II stalling at DNA lesions.

Poly(ferrocenylsilane)-Based Redox-Active Artificial Organelles for Biomimetic Cascade Reactions.

Artificial organelles serve as functional counterparts to natural organelles, which are primarily employed to artificially replicate, restore, or enhance cellular functions. While most artificial organelles exhibit basic functions, we diverge from this norm by utilizing poly(ferrocenylmethylethylthiocarboxypropylsilane) microcapsules (PFC MCs) to construct multifunctional artificial organelles through water/oil interfacial self-assembly. Within these PFC MCs, enzymatic cascades are induced through active molecular exchange across the membrane to mimic the functions of enzymes in mitochondria. We harness the inherent redox properties of the PFC polymer, which forms the membrane, to facilitate in-situ redox reactions similar to those supported by the inner membrane of natural mitochondria. Subsequent studies have demonstrated the interaction between PFC MCs and living cell including extended lifespans within various cell types. We anticipate that functional PFC MCs have the potential to serve as innovative platforms for organelle mimics capable of executing specific cellular functions.

Genetic Signature for the Causation of Charcot Neuro-osteoarthropathy of Foot in Diabetes: A Systematic Review.

Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy (CNO) is a complication of diabetes occurring in people with diabetic neuropathy with a prevalence of 0.5% to 1% that may culminate to foot deformity, amputation, and early mortality. However, it is not known why only certain patients with diabetic neuropathy develop CNO. Hence, early recognition of risk factors, timely diagnosis, and appropriate intervention of CNO is pertinent. Recent understanding of the pathophysiology of CNO has expanded to suggest the involvement of RANKL-OPG pathways. But pharmaco-therapeutic interventions targeting bone metabolism predominantly inhibiting RANKL were not found to be useful. Moreover, there are not enough markers to help identify patients with diabetes who are at a higher risk of developing CNO. Hence, we explored the literature in the present systematic review of mainly case-control studies to identify genetic factors that could help in understanding the pathophysiology and risk factors for the development of CNO. We could identify 7 relevant studies identifying single nucleotide polymorphism of OPG and RANK genes. There is an isolated study identifying alterations of micro RNA associated with RANKL-OPG pathway. Another study found epigenetic alterations by performing whole methylome sequencing in people with CNO compared to control. These genetic factors can be used as a diagnostic marker and their functional counterparts as targets for future therapeutic interventions. However, we found that literature is sparse on the genetic risk factors for CNO in people with diabetic neuropathy and there is still a lot of scope for future studies towards finding the molecular and genetic markers for CNO.

Comparison of methods to aggregate climate data to predict crop yield: an application to soybean

High-dimensional climate data collected on a daily, monthly, or seasonal time step are now commonly used to predict crop yields worldwide with standard statistical models or machine learning models. Since the use of all available individual climate variables generally leads to calculation problems, over-fitting, and over-parameterization, it is necessary to aggregate the climate data used as predictors. However, there is no consensus on the best way to perform this task, and little is known about the impacts of the type of aggregation method used and of the temporal resolution of weather data on model performances. Based on historical data from 1981 to 2016 of soybean yield and climate on 3447 sites worldwide, this study compares different temporal resolutions (daily, monthly, or seasonal) and dimension reduction techniques (principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square regression, and their functional counterparts) to aggregate climate data used as inputs of machine learning and linear regression (LR) models predicting yields. Results showed that random forest models outperformed and were less sensitive to climate aggregation methods than LRs when predicting soybean yields. With our models, the use of daily climate data did not improve predictive performance compared to monthly data. Models based on PCA or averages of monthly data showed better predictive performance compared to those relying on more sophisticated dimension reduction techniques. By highlighting the high sensitivity of projected impact of climate on crop yields to the temporal resolution and aggregation of climate input data, this study reveals that model performances can be improved by choosing the most appropriate time resolution and aggregation techniques. Practical recommendations are formulated in this article based on our results.

Effects of Land Use Change on Avian Diversity in the Semi-Arid Area of Longxi Loess Plateau

Biodiversity is under threat due to human-induced changes in land use. While various aspects of biodiversity are increasingly studied in response to these changes, there is limited understanding of their effects on the structure and composition of bird communities in dryland regions. We examined the impacts of land use change on birds in the semi-arid area of the Longxi Loess Plateau by considering taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity. We analyzed both the α- and β-diversity of avian communities across different dimensions of diversity and calculated functional and phylogenetic structures using the net relatedness index. Our findings revealed that species richness was highest in farmland and abandoned farmland, while artificial mixed forests exhibited the highest number of unique species. Functional and phylogenetic α-diversity was greater in farmland and abandoned farmland when compared to the other four land use types. Moreover, the taxonomic diversity in artificial mixed forests, artificial Caragana korshinskii forests, and artificial Platycladus orientalis forests surpassed that in typical grasslands, but no differences were observed in functional and phylogenetic diversity. Regarding β-diversity, turnover patterns dominated multidimensional dissimilarity, with taxonomic turnover and total dissimilarity lower than their functional counterparts but higher than phylogenetic counterparts. Based on the present findings, we emphasize the long-term cessation of ongoing silvicultural initiatives to safeguard bird diversity in the semi-arid region of the Longxi Loess Plateau. This is crucial for narrowly distributed species such as Alectoris magna, as they face heightened vulnerability to losses.

Enhanced electrochemical reduction of N2 to NH3 by interfacial engineering of biomass-derived Fe, Mo-bimetallic composite

Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) for the synthesis of ammonia (NH3) is one of the green and mild methods of artificial nitrogen fixation, promising as an alternative to replace the existing industrial process. Under the requirements of green chemistry and sustainable development, the design and development of highly active and stable electrocatalysts is very important for improved synthesis performance. Mimicking from the natural nitrogenase, Fe and Mo based catalysts have attracted much attention due to their superior catalytic performance for N2 adsorption and activation. In this work, an interfacial engineering strategy has been used to prepare a Fe, Mo-bimetallic electrocatalyst for the electrosynthesis of NH3. In detail, the pre-pyrolyzed biochar-based Fe2O3 composites were decorated with nano-flowered MoS2/MoO2 hybrids by a solvothermal process (MoS2/MoO2@Fe2O3/BC). As confirmed by the extensive characterization, the further modification not only introduced functional counterparts into the electrocatalysts but also regulated the morphology of the nanostructure. The electrochemical tests showed that the highest NH3 yield rate of MoS2/MoO2@Fe2O3/BC was 4.87 μg h− 1 cm−2 and highest FE was 16.5% in 0.1 M Na2SO4. The catalytic stability and durability were also presented in the longtime electrolysis and cycling experiments. The improved catalytic performance of decorated catalyst, as evidenced by the comparison with Fe2O3/BC, is attributed to the increased electrocatalytic active area, the moderated hydrophilicity, and the synergistic effect of Fe, Mo-bimetallic active sites. This study provides a new perspective for the design and development of low-cost transition metal complexes as electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction reactions.

T-DNA insertion mutants of Arabidopsis DA1 orthologous genes displayed altered plant height and yield-related traits in rice (O. Sativa L.).

The Arabidopsis DA1 gene is a key player in the regulation of organ and seed development. To extend our understanding of its functional counterparts in rice, this study investigates the roles of orthologous genes, namely DA1, HDR3, HDR3.1, and the DA2 ortholog GW2, through the analysis of T-DNA insertion mutants. The aim of this research is to elucidate the impact of T-DNA insertions in DA1, HDR3, HDR3.1, and GW2 on agronomic traits in rice. By evaluating homozygous plants, we specifically focus on key parameters such as plant height, tiller number, days to heading, and grain size. T-DNA insertion locations were validated using PCR, and subsequent analyses were conducted on homozygous plants. Agronomic traits, including plant height, tiller number, days to heading, and grain size, were assessed. Additionally, leaf senescence assays were performed under dark incubation conditions to gauge the impact of T-DNA insertions on this physiological aspect. The study revealed distinctive phenotypic outcomes associated with T-DNA insertions in HDR3, HDR3.1, GW2, and DA1. Specifically, HDR3 and HDR3.1 mutants exhibited significantly reduced plant height and smaller grain size, while GW2 and DA1 mutants displayed a notable increase in both plant height and grain size compared to the wild type variety Dongjin. Leaf senescence assays further indicated delayed leaf senescence in hdr3.1 mutants, contrasting with slightly earlier leaf senescence observed in hdr3 mutants under dark incubation. The findings underscore the pivotal roles of DA1 orthologous genes in rice, shedding light on their significance in regulating plant growth and development. The observed phenotypic variations highlight the potential of these genes as targets for crop improvement strategies, offering insights that could contribute to the enhancement of agronomic traits in rice and potentially other crops.

Identification of plants’ functional counterpart of the metazoan mediator of DNA Damage checkpoint 1

Induction of DNA damage triggers rapid phosphorylation of the histone H2A.X (γH2A.X). In animals, mediator of DNA damage checkpoint 1 (MDC1) binds γH2A.X through a tandem BRCA1 carboxyl-terminal (tBRCT) domain and mediates recruitment of downstream effectors of DNA damage response (DDR). However, readers of this modification in plants have remained elusive. We show that from the Arabidopsis BRCT domain proteome, BCP1-4 proteins with tBRCT domains are involved in DDR. Through its tBRCT domain BCP4 binds γH2A.X in vitro and localizes to DNA damage-induced foci in an H2A.X-dependent manner. BCP4 also contains a domain that interacts directly with NBS1 and thus acts as a functional counterpart of MDC1. We also show that BCP1, that contains two tBRCT domains, co-localizes with γH2A.X but it does not bind γH2A.X suggesting functional similarity with human PAXIP1. A phylogenetic analysis supports that PAXIP1 and MDC1 in metazoa and their plant counterparts evolved independently from common ancestors with tBRCT domains. Collectively, our study reveals missing components and provides mechanistic and evolutionary insights into plant DDR.

Open datasets and code for multi-scale relations on structure, function and neuro-genetics in the human brain

The human brain is an extremely complex network of structural and functional connections that operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Investigating the relationship between these multi-scale connections is critical to advancing our comprehension of brain function and disorders. However, accurately predicting structural connectivity from its functional counterpart remains a challenging pursuit. One of the major impediments is the lack of public repositories that integrate structural and functional networks at diverse resolutions, in conjunction with modular transcriptomic profiles, which are essential for comprehensive biological interpretation. To mitigate this limitation, our contribution encompasses the provision of an open-access dataset consisting of derivative matrices of functional and structural connectivity across multiple scales, accompanied by code that facilitates the investigation of their interrelations. We also provide additional resources focused on neuro-genetic associations of module-level network metrics, which present promising opportunities to further advance research in the field of network neuroscience, particularly concerning brain disorders.

Accelerated Lignocellulosic Molecule Adsorption Structure Determination.

Here, we present a study combining Bayesian optimization structural inference with the machine learning interatomic potential Neural Equivariant Interatomic Potential (NequIP) to accelerate and enable the study of the adsorption of the conformationally flexible lignocellulosic molecules β-d-xylose and 1,4-β-d-xylotetraose on a copper surface. The number of structure evaluations needed to map out the relevant potential energy surfaces are reduced by Bayesian optimization, while NequIP minimizes the time spent on each evaluation, ultimately resulting in cost-efficient and reliable sampling of large systems and configurational spaces. Although the applicability of Bayesian optimization for the conformational analysis of the more flexible xylotetraose molecule is restricted by the sample complexity bottleneck, the latter can be effectively bypassed with external conformer search tools, such as the Conformer-Rotamer Ensemble Sampling Tool, facilitating the subsequent lower-dimensional global minimum adsorption structure determination. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the described approach to find adsorption structures practically equivalent to the density functional theory counterparts at a fraction of the computational cost.

The Anopheles leucine-rich repeat protein APL1C is a pathogen binding factor recognizing Plasmodium ookinetes and sporozoites.

Leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins are commonly involved in innate immunity of animals and plants, including for pattern recognition of pathogen-derived elicitors. The Anopheles secreted LRR proteins APL1C and LRIM1 are required for malaria ookinete killing in conjunction with the complement-like TEP1 protein. However, the mechanism of parasite immune recognition by the mosquito remains unclear, although it is known that TEP1 lacks inherent binding specificity. Here, we find that APL1C and LRIM1 bind specifically to Plasmodium berghei ookinetes, even after depletion of TEP1 transcript and protein, consistent with a role for the LRR proteins in pathogen recognition. Moreover, APL1C does not bind to ookinetes of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and is not required for killing of this parasite, which correlates LRR binding specificity and immune protection. Most of the live P. berghei ookinetes that migrated into the extracellular space exposed to mosquito hemolymph, and almost all dead ookinetes, are bound by APL1C, thus associating LRR protein binding with parasite killing. We also find that APL1C binds to the surface of P. berghei sporozoites released from oocysts into the mosquito hemocoel and forms a potent barrier limiting salivary gland invasion and mosquito infectivity. Pathogen binding by APL1C provides the first functional explanation for the long-known requirement of APL1C for P. berghei ookinete killing in the mosquito midgut. We propose that secreted mosquito LRR proteins are required for pathogen discrimination and orientation of immune effector activity, potentially as functional counterparts of the immunoglobulin-based receptors used by vertebrates for antigen recognition.

Mating-induced increase of kynurenine in Drosophila ovary enhances starvation resistance of progeny

The maternal nutritional environment can impact progeny development, stress tolerance, and longevity. Such phenotypic variation of offspring resulting from the maternal environment is often referred to as the 'maternal effect' and is observed across taxa, including in humans. While some mechanisms behind maternal effects have been revealed, such as histone modification, many studies rely on drastic genetic or nutritional manipulation in describing these mechanisms. Here we aimed to reveal how the maternal environment is regulated under physiological conditions to affect the progeny. Specifically, we detailed metabolic regulation in oocytes in response to mating using Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies. Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we found that upon mating, the ovary metabolites shifted, predominantly toward increasing amino acids (AAs) and the tryptophan/kynurenine (Trp/Kyn) pathway. This mating-induced increase in ovary Kyn was driven by increased Kyn production in the fat body (FB), a functional counterpart of the mammalian liver and white adipose tissue, and the source of Kyn storage for the ovary after mating. Furthermore, we show maternal Kyn repression decreased the starvation resistance of progeny, and that administering exogenous Kyn to the maternal generation enhanced the starvation resistance of female progeny. Taken together, these findings point to a previously unidentified role of FB Kyn distribution during reproduction on progeny survival.

Innovative mushroom-like hemp-based evaporators enhanced by biochar for efficient seawater desalination

Inadequate access to clean water and wasteful resource consumption during production pose significant challenges in global development. To combat these issues, interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) has emerged as an energy-efficient solution to mitigate the ongoing water scarcity crisis. However, the application of ISSG is hindered by high costs and intricate fabrication processes associated with synthetic functional materials. In response, this study introduces an innovative approach that repurposes abundant by-products generated from hemp fiber production. Hemp fiber noil are transformed into a nonwoven fabric substrate, onto which hemp stem-derived biochar is seamlessly integrated using a straightforward spray-coating technique, establishing an efficient solar-to-heat conversion evaporator. Leveraging the durability of hemp fibers, this system achieves an impressive seawater evaporation rate of 1.47 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 sun condition, making it highly competitive in seawater desalination research. This pioneering strategy combines waste green materials and their functional counterparts, unlocking practical applications, addressing resource scarcity, and mitigating environmental pollution. This research highlights the potential of sustainable material utilization to tackle pressing global challenges.

Sewage Treatment Facility Maintenance: A Risk-based Approach for High-rise Residential Property

Although fuzzy-failure modes and effects analysis (Fuzzy-FMEA) is one of the risk-based maintenance approaches that has been used to devise or to improve an existing preventive maintenance program in various industries and settings, applying the technique in the context of sewage treatment facility (STF) is lacking. The proponent investigated the cause of failing effluent parameters of a high-rise residential property through the combination of the Ishikawa Diagram and 5-Whys, then the technique was applied and improved using the data gathered from qualified respondents with different exposure, and backgrounds, among others who answered 10-fuzzy scales regarding the severity, occurrence, and detectability of each failure modes, and ranked the importance of each chamber of an SBR-type STF. Results revealed that the Refined FRPN values emphasized the failure modes with relevance to each other by obtaining values within their functional counterpart resulting in a more apt categorization and prioritization than the FRPN. The paper shows that Fuzzy-FMEA is successful in devising a risk-based approach for SBR-type STF for high-rise residential property with an effective means of addressing the aggravating effluent parameters in the maintenance aspect to comply with the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2016-08.

Evocation of the self: self-defining mental photographs

The acquisition of mental tools is a uniquely human mode of resisting situational pressure and achieving psychological self-determination. The fact that material photographs effectively trigger autobiographical memories has led to the hypothesis that they have functional counterparts in the form of memories of the most personally significant photographs. One hundred and eighty-five participants volunteered to recall, describe, and rate on several scales the memories of photographs that best express their personality. The “self-defining mental photographs” obtained from the participants were found to be subjectively attractive, highly functional, and expressive of various personality traits. The exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-factor solution interpreted as qualitatively specific types of mental photographs. Mental photographs scoring high on Factor 1 (Focus on the event) may serve as retrieval tool for extracting personal sense from a concrete episode of the past. High scores on Factor 2 (Detailed image of the narrator) probably refer to the internal dialogue between past and present self. High scores on Factor 3 (Holistic Self) were attributed to the integrated experience of personality-destiny unity coinciding with the awareness of one's history of existence.

Special Nuclear Structures in the Germinal Vesicle of the Common Frog with Emphasis on the So-Called Karyosphere Capsule.

The karyosphere (karyosome) is a structure that forms in the oocyte nucleus-germinal vesicle (GV)-at the diplotene stage of meiotic prophase due to the assembly of all chromosomes in a limited portion of the GV. In some organisms, the karyosphere has an extrachromosomal external capsule, the marker protein of which is nuclear F-actin. Despite many years of theories about the formation of the karyosphere capsule (KC) in the GV of the common frog Rana temporaria, we present data that cast doubt on its existence, at least in this species. Specific extrachromosomal strands, which had been considered the main elements of the frog's KC, do not form a continuous layer around the karyosphere and, according to immunogold labeling, do not contain structural proteins, such as actin and lamin B. At the same time, F-actin is indeed noticeably concentrated around the karyosphere, creating the illusion of a capsule at the light microscopy/fluorescence level. The barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) and one of its functional partners-LEMD2, an inner nuclear membrane protein-are not localized in the strands, suggesting that the strands are not functional counterparts of the nuclear envelope. The presence of characteristic strands in the GV of R. temporaria late oocytes may reflect an excess of SMC1 involved in the structural maintenance of diplotene oocyte chromosomes at the karyosphere stage, since SMC1 has been shown to be the most abundant protein in the strands. Other characteristic microstructures-the so-called annuli, very similar in ultrastructure to the nuclear pore complexes-do not contain nucleoporins Nup35 and Nup93, and, therefore, they cannot be considered autonomous pore complexes, as previously thought. Taken together, our data indicate that traditional ideas about the existence of the R. temporaria KC as a special structural compartment of the GV are to be revisited.

ATM/ATR Phosphorylation of CtIP on Its Conserved Sae2-like Domain Is Required for Genotoxin-Induced DNA Resection but Dispensable for Animal Development.

Homology-directed repair (HDR) of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) is dependent on enzymatic resection of DNA ends by the Mre11/Rad50/Nbs1 complex. DNA resection is triggered by the CtIP/Sae2 protein, which allosterically promotes Mre11-mediated endonuclease DNA cleavage at a position internal to the DSB. Although the mechanics of resection, including the initial endonucleolytic step, are largely conserved in eucaryotes, CtIP and its functional counterpart in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sae2) share only a modest stretch of amino acid homology. Nonetheless, this stretch contains two highly conserved phosphorylation sites for cyclin-dependent kinases (T843 in mouse) and the damage-induced ATM/ATR kinases (T855 in mouse), both of which are required for DNA resection. To explore the function of ATM/ATR phosphorylation at Ctip-T855, we generated and analyzed mice expressing the Ctip-T855A mutant. Surprisingly, unlike Ctip-null mice and Ctip-T843A-expressing mice, both of which undergo embryonic lethality, homozygous CtipT855A/T855A mice develop normally. Nonetheless, they are hypersensitive to ionizing radiation, and CtipT855A/T855A mouse embryo fibroblasts from these mice display marked defects in DNA resection, chromosomal stability, and HDR-mediated repair of DSBs. Thus, although ATM/ATR phosphorylation of CtIP-T855 is not required for normal animal development, it enhances CtIP-mediated DNA resection in response to acute stress, such as genotoxin exposure.

Coronatine-Induced Maize Defense against Gibberella Stalk Rot by Activating Antioxidants and Phytohormone Signaling.

One of the most destructive diseases, Gibberella stalk rot (GSR), caused by Fusarium graminearum, reduces maize yields significantly. An induced resistance response is a potent and cost-effective plant defense against pathogen attack. The functional counterpart of JAs, coronatine (COR), has attracted a lot of interest recently due to its ability to control plant growth and stimulate secondary metabolism. Although several studies have focused on COR as a plant immune elicitor to improve plant resistance to pathogens, the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of the suppressive ability against COR to F. graminearum in maize have been limited. We investigated the potential physiological and molecular mechanisms of COR in modulating maize resistance to F. graminearum. COR treatment strongly enhanced disease resistance and promoted stomatal closure with H2O2 accumulation, and 10 μg/mL was confirmed as the best concentration. COR treatment increased defense-related enzyme activity and decreased the malondialdehyde content with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity. To identify candidate resistance genes and gain insight into the molecular mechanism of GSR resistance associated with COR, we integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic data to systemically explore the defense mechanisms of COR, and multiple hub genes were pinpointed using weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). We discovered 6 significant modules containing 10 candidate genes: WRKY transcription factor (LOC100279570), calcium-binding protein (LOC100382070), NBR1-like protein (LOC100275089), amino acid permease (LOC100382244), glutathione S-transferase (LOC541830), HXXXD-type acyl-transferase (LOC100191608), prolin-rich extensin-like receptor protein kinase (LOC100501564), AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor (LOC100384380), basic leucine zipper (LOC100275351), and glycosyltransferase (LOC606486), which are highly correlated with the jasmonic acid-ethylene signaling pathway and antioxidants. In addition, a core set of metabolites, including alpha-linolenic acid metabolism and flavonoids biosynthesis linked to the hub genes, were identified. Taken together, our research revealed differentially expressed key genes and metabolites, as well as co-expression networks, associated with COR treatment of maize stems after F. graminearum infection. In addition, COR-treated maize had higher JA (JA-Ile and Me-JA) levels. We postulated that COR plays a positive role in maize resistance to F. graminearum by regulating antioxidant levels and the JA signaling pathway, and the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is also involved in the resistance response against GSR.