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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Griffin, Georgia » Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #362334
Research Project: Conservation, Characterization, Evaluation, and Distribution of Grain, Oilseed, Vegetable, Subtropical and Tropical Legume, and Warm Season Grass Genetic Resources and Associated Information

Location: Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit

Title: The horizontal gene transfer of Agrobacterium T-DNAs into the series Batatas (Genus Ipomoea) genome is not confined to hexaploid sweetpotato

Author
item QUISPE-HUAMANQUISPE, D. - International Potato Center
item GHEYSEN, G. - Ghent University
item YANG, J. - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item Jarret, Robert - Bob
item ROSSEL, G. - International Potato Center
item KREUZE, J - International Potato Center

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/7/2019
Publication Date: 8/29/2019
Citation: Quispe-Huamanquispe, D., Gheysen, G., Yang, J., Jarret, R.L., Rossel, G., Kreruze, J. 2019. The horizontal gene transfer of Agrobacterium T-DNAs into the series Batatas (Genus Ipomoea) genome is not confined to hexaploid sweetpotato. Scientific Reports. 9:12584. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48691-3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48691-3

Interpretive Summary: A previous report by these authors determined that the cultivated sweetpotato contained genetic material from a bacterium (Agrobacterium tumefaciens). This study extends the findings of that previous report to indicate that the foreign (bacterial) genetic material present in sweetpotato is also present in several species of plants known to be closely related to the sweetpotato. These results are discussed and interpreted as regards their bearing on past and current efforts to better understand the evolution of the sweetpotato.

Technical Abstract: The discovery of the insertion of IbT-DNA1 and IbT-DNA2 into the The discovery of the insertion of IbT-DNA1 and IbT-DNA2 into the cultivated (hexaploid) sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] genome constitutes a clear example of an ancient event of Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT). However, it remains unknown whether the acquisition of both IbT-DNAs by the cultivated sweetpotato occurred before or after its speciation. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the presence of IbT-DNAs in the sweetpotato’s wild relatives that belong to the taxonomic group series Batatas. Both IbT-DNA1 and IbT-DNA2 were found in tetraploid I. batatas (L.) Lam. with highly similar sequences and at the same locus to those found in the cultivated sweetpotato. Moreover, IbT-DNA1 was also found in I. cordatotriloba and I. tenuissima while IbT-DNA2 was detected in I. trifida. This demonstrates that genome integrated IbT-DNAs are not restricted to the cultivated sweetpotato but extend to the tetraploid I. batatas as well as other related species.