Abstract / Description of output
Cultivated spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a dioecious species. We report high-quality genome sequences for its two closest wild relatives, S. turkestanica and S. tetrandra, which are also dioecious, and are used to study the genetics of spinach domestication.
Using a combination of genomic approaches, we assembled genomes of both these species, and analysed them in comparison to the previously assembled S. oleracea genome.
These species diverged approximately 6.3 million years ago (Mya), while cultivated spinach split from S. turkestanica 0.8 Mya. In all three species, all six chromosomes include very large gene-poor, repeat-rich regions, which, in S. oleracea, are pericentromeric regions with very low recombination rates in both male and female genetic maps. We describe population genomic evidence that the similar regions in the wild species also recombine rarely. We characterized 282 structural variants (SVs) that have been selected during domestication. These regions include genes associated with leaf margin type and flowering time. We also describe evidence that the downy mildew resistance loci of cultivated spinach are derived from introgression from both wild spinach species.
Collectively, this study reveals genome architecture of spinach assemblies and highlights the importance of SVs during the domestication of cultivated spinach.
Using a combination of genomic approaches, we assembled genomes of both these species, and analysed them in comparison to the previously assembled S. oleracea genome.
These species diverged approximately 6.3 million years ago (Mya), while cultivated spinach split from S. turkestanica 0.8 Mya. In all three species, all six chromosomes include very large gene-poor, repeat-rich regions, which, in S. oleracea, are pericentromeric regions with very low recombination rates in both male and female genetic maps. We describe population genomic evidence that the similar regions in the wild species also recombine rarely. We characterized 282 structural variants (SVs) that have been selected during domestication. These regions include genes associated with leaf margin type and flowering time. We also describe evidence that the downy mildew resistance loci of cultivated spinach are derived from introgression from both wild spinach species.
Collectively, this study reveals genome architecture of spinach assemblies and highlights the importance of SVs during the domestication of cultivated spinach.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 477-494 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | New Phytologist |
Volume | 243 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 7 May 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2024 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- Wild spinach relatives
- pericentromeric region
- evolution
- domestication
- bottlenecks