panomiX: Investigating mechanisms of trait emergence through multi-omics data integration.

Abstract

Complex omics approaches and high-throughput phenotyping generate large, heterogeneous datasets that make linking molecular signatures to plant traits challenging. To address this challenge, here we introduce panomiX, a user-friendly toolbox for multi-omics integration, designed to enable non-experts to apply advanced computational methods with ease. PanomiX automates data preprocessing, variance analysis, multi-omics prediction, and interaction modeling through machine learning, revealing meaningful molecular interactions and synergies. We applied panomiX to a tomato heat-stress experiment combining image-based phenotyping, transcriptomics, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy data, with the aim of identification of condition-specific, cross-domain relationships between gene expression, metabolite levels, and phenotypic traits. Our approach identified a network of such connections, with those linking photosynthesis traits with stress-responsive kinases in elevated temperatures among most significant ones. By simplifying complex analyses and improving interpretability, panomiX offers a platform to accelerate the discovery of trait emergence in plants and select specific candidate genes based on multi-omics analyses.

Plant phenotyping relevance

植物の画像ベース表現型を含むマルチオミクス統合と機械学習解析を自動化するツールを開発・適用しており、表現型解析ワークフローが中心的です。

Code and data availability

The paper's tomato heat-stress phenotyping/FTIR data and pre-processed analysis inputs are publicly deposited at IPK e!DAL, and the panomiX analysis code is on GitHub with a Zenodo archive; the rnaseq-mapper pipeline is also public. ENA RNA-seq deposit is molecular omics and excluded.