Recently, a team led by Associate Researcher Liu Qing from the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborated with Professor John Seymour Heslop Harrison from the University of Leicester in the UK. They utilized genomic technology to assemble the genome sequence of wild oat species, conducting comparative genomics research and unveiling the genetic code map of wild oat species. The research findings were published in "Scientific Data" and "BMC Plant Biology."
Genetic Cipher Map of Wild Oat Species. Image by Qing Liu
Oats were once a weed in wheat fields in the Anatolian region of Turkey, domesticated over three thousand years ago. With a rich genetic diversity, oats exhibit a large genome size (12.6 Gb, 6x) and a mosaic-like chromosome structure. Evolutionary events leading to oat chromosome structural variations are poorly understood, yet the diploid wild oat species harbor a similar number of genes, serving as a genetic treasure trove for oat stress resistance and adaptive traits.
Through genome sequencing and assembly, this study obtained a high-quality genome of Avena longiglumis (2n = 2x = 14) at 3.85 Gb, annotated with 40,845 protein-coding genes. Transcriptome data on salt tolerance was also acquired, shedding new light on salt-tolerance genes in oats.
Comparative genomics revealed a high conservation of collinear regions between wild oat species - A. longiglumis and A. eriantha (2n = 2x = 14). Chromosomal translocations in diploid wild oat species occurred in a region proximal to the telomere within 50 Mb, with similar inter-genomic translocations in hexaploid oats. A post-rho whole-genome duplication event was identified in the oat genus.
This study reconstructed the evolutionary history of the Pooideae subfamily, laying a crucial theoretical foundation for oat genomic-assisted breeding and the utilization of oat wild genetic resources. The findings deepen our understanding of the origin of oat genomes.
The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Basic and Applied Basic Research Fund of Guangdong Province, and the Overseas Distinguished Scholar Program of the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Related Paper Information: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03248-6
