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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Crop Improvement and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #335487
Title: Genome sequence of the progenitor of the wheat D genome Aegilops tauschii

Author
item LUO, M - University Of California
item Gu, Yong
item DANIELA, P - Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine
item HAO, W - University Of Georgia
item DEAL, K - University Of California
item HUO, N - University Of California
item ZHU, T - Dominican University Of California
item WANG, L - University Of California
item WANG, Y - University Of California
item MC GUIRE, P - University Of California
item LIU, S - University Of California
item LONG, H - University Of California
item RAMASAMY, R - University Of California
item RODRIGUEZ, J - University Of California
item SONNY, V - University Of California
item YUAN, L - University Of California
item WANG, Z - Chinese Agricultural University
item XIA, Z - University Of California
item XIAO, L - University Of California
item Anderson, Olin
item OUYANG, S - Chinese Agricultural University
item LIANG, Y - Chinese Agricultural University
item ZIMIN, A - Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine
item PERTEA, G - Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine
item DAI, X - University Of California
item DAWSON, M - University Of California
item MULLER, H-G - University Of California
item TWARDZIOK, S.O. - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research
item KUGLER, K - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research
item SPANNAGL, M - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research
item MAYER, K.F.X. - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research
item LEROY, P - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
item LI, P - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item YOU, FRANK - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item SUN, Q - Chinese Agricultural University
item LI, Z - Chinese Agricultural University
item LYONS, E - University Of Arizona
item WICKER, T - University Of Zurich
item SALZBERG, S - Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine
item DEVOS, K.M. - University Of Georgia
item DVORAK, J - University Of California
item BENNETZEN, J - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Nature
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/9/2017
Publication Date: 11/15/2017
Citation: Luo, M., Gu, Y.Q., Daniela, P., Hao, W., Deal, K., Huo, N., Zhu, T., Wang, L., Wang, Y., Mcguire, P., Liu, S., Long, H., Ramasamy, R., Rodriguez, J., Sonny, V., Yuan, L., Wang, Z., Xia, Z., Xiao, L., Anderson, O.D., Ouyang, S., Liang, Y., Zimin, A., Pertea, G., Dai, X., Dawson, M., Muller, H., Twardziok, S., Kugler, K., Spannagl, M., Mayer, K., Leroy, P., Li, P., You, F., Sun, Q., Li, Z., Lyons, E., Wicker, T., Salzberg, S., Devos, K., Dvorak, J., Bennetzen, J. 2017. Genome sequence of the progenitor of the wheat D genome Aegilops tauschii. Nature. 551:498-502. doi:10.1038/nature24486.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24486

Interpretive Summary: The global food supply depends on three foundation cereals: rice, maize, and wheat. In 2014, wheat was grown on 222 million ha, exceeding rice and maize by 21 and 36%, respectively, making it the most widely grown cereal. Genetic evidence indicates that hexaploid bread wheat originated from hybridization of tetraploid wheat T. turgidum with diploid Tausch’s goatgrass Aeligops tauschii. Among the contributions of the Ae. tauschii genome to hexaploid wheat are tolerance to abiotic stress, bread-making properties, and broad adaptability. Ae. tauschii has also been a rich breeding resource for resistance to wheat diseases, including the aggressive stem rust race UG99. In this work, a reference-quality DNA sequence for the Ae. tauschii genome was produced and assembled using a combination of three independent methods. Comparisons of Ae. tauschii constructed chromosomes with genomic sequences of rice, sorghum, foxtail millet, and Brachypodium distachyon revealed that the large Ae. tauschii genome has been evolving more quickly than the small genomes of these species. We also show that the distribution patterns of genes, transposable elements, organellar DNA insertions, and simple sequence repeats evolved in response to the patterns of recombination rates along the Ae. tauschii chromosomes. The genomic resource generated in this work is freely available to the wheat community for many aspects of crop improvement research, including cloning of agronomically important traits and marker assisted breeding.

Technical Abstract: Aegilops tauschii is the diploid progenitor of the D genome of hexaploid wheat and an important genetic resource for wheat. A reference-quality sequence for the Ae. tauschii genome was produced with a combination of ordered-clone sequencing, whole-genome shotgun sequencing, and BioNano optical genome mapping. Synergy among BioNano optical maps for different Ae. tauschii genotypes and the wheat D genome was exploited in super-scaffolding and pseudomolecule construction. Comparisons of Ae. tauschii pseudomolecules with genomic sequences of rice, sorghum, foxtail millet, and Brachypodium distachyon revealed that the large Ae. tauschii genome has been evolving more quickly than the small genomes of those species. The analysis of Ae. tauschii pseudomolecules showed that the distribution patterns of genes, transposable elements, organellar DNA insertions, and simple sequence repeats and the rate of gene collinearity decay evolved in response to the patterns of recombination rates along the Ae. tauschii chromosomes.