Exploring maize proteins: Resistance to storage fungi and postharvest insects

Abstract Maize is among the most essential crops produced worldwide. It goes through multiple stages of processing before becoming edible or consumed. During storage, maize is exposed to the attack of different biological agents, such as fungi and insects, which often result in significant quantitative and qualitative losses. Several physical, chemical, and biological strategies have been developed to combat this problem, and the study and identification of proteins with activity correlated to maize resistance becomes relevant. However, most of these studies are focused on the preharvest stages of the crop. Our review summarizes the latest knowledge of maize proteins associated with fungal and insect resistance during storage and the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, we provide future perspectives on postharvest proteomics and the challenges of breeding storage-resistant maize.