Genome-wide transposon identification for barley genomics and genetic improvement

Authors: Gao, Dongying; Caspersen, Ann; Fox-Fogle, Emma; Hu, Gongshe; Bockelman, Harold; Chen, Xianming

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/11/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The barley genome consists of over 80% transposons or transposable elements (TEs). However, their molecular functions and importance for barley genetic improvement were underappreciated as these repetitive sequences are non-genic elements and do not directly control yield and other agronomic traits. A growing body of research suggests that transposons play essential roles in plant genome evolution and morphological variations and provide valuable resources for basic and applied research. We analyzed the barley genome and identified numerous new transposons including both DNA and RNA transposons that showed significant sequence identity to the full-length cDNAs (FL-cDNAs). These new transposons are very abundant in barley genome and some of them show unusual sequence structures. Further analysis revealed that the barley transposons may had experienced complex evolution such as horizontal transfers of transposons (HTT). We comparatively analyzed the barley pan genomes and detected polymorphic transposons between the sequenced 23 wild and cultivated barley genomes. Overall, we discovered new transposons and revealed the recent transposition activity of some elements, which could help to develop genetic tools (gene tagging system, molecular makers and others) for barley genetic improvement.