EVidenceModeler (EVM) is presented as an automated eukaryotic gene structure annotation tool that reports eukaryotic gene structures as a weighted consensus of all available evidence. EVM, when combined with the Program to Assemble Spliced Alignments (PASA), yields a comprehensive, configurable annotation system that predicts protein-coding genes and alternatively spliced isoforms. Our experiments on both rice and human genome sequences demonstrate that EVM produces automated gene structure annotation approaching the quality of manual curation.

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Automated Eukaryotic Gene Structure Annotation Using EVidenceModeler and the Program to Assemble Spliced Alignments

The Chromosome-Level Genome Sequence of the Autotetraploid Alfalfa and Resequencing of Core Germplasms Provide Genomic Resources for Alfalfa Research.

White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is an annual crop cultivated for its protein-rich seeds. It is adapted to poor soils due to the production of cluster roots, which are made of dozens of determinate lateral roots that drastically improve soil exploration and nutrient acquisition (mostly phosphate). Using long-read sequencing technologies, we provide a high-quality genome sequence of a cultivated accession of white lupin (2n = 50, 451 Mb), as well as de novo assemblies of a landrace and a wild relative. We describe a modern accession displaying increased soil exploration capacity through early establishment of lateral and cluster roots. We also show how seed quality may have been impacted by domestication in term of protein profiles and alkaloid content. The availability of a high-quality genome assembly together with companion genomic and transcriptomic resources will enable the development of modern breeding strategies to increase and stabilize white lupin yield. White lupin is an annual crop cultivated for protein rich seeds and can produce cluster roots for efficient phosphate acquisition. Here, the authors generate high quality genome assemblies of a cultivated accession, a landrace, and a wild relative and provides insight into soil exploration and seed quality.

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High-quality genome sequence of white lupin provides insight into soil exploration and seed quality

Legumes represent the second most important family of crop plants after grasses, accounting for approximately 27% of the world's crop production. Past domestication processes resulted in a high degree of relatedness between modern varieties of crops, leading to a narrower genetic base of cultivated germplasm prone to pests and diseases. Crop wild relatives (CWRs) harbor genetic diversity tested by natural selection in a range of environments. To fully understand and exploit local adaptation in CWR, studies in geographical centers of origin combining ecology, physiology, and genetics are needed. With the advent of modern genomics and computation, combined with systematic phenotyping, it is feasible to revisit wild accessions and landraces and prioritize their use for breeding, providing sources of disease resistances; tolerances of drought, heat, frost, and salinity abiotic stresses; nutrient densities across major and minor elements; and food quality traits. Establishment of hybrid populations with CWRs gives breeders a considerable benefit of a prebreeding tool for identifying and harnessing wild alleles and provides extremely valuable long‐term resources. There is a need of further collecting and both ex situ and in situ conservation of CWR diversity of these taxa in the face of habitat loss and degradation and climate change. In this review, we focus on three legume crops domesticated in the Fertile Crescent, pea, chickpea, and lentil, and summarize the current state and potential of their respective CWR taxa for crop improvement.

Potential and limits of exploitation of crop wild relatives for pea, lentil, and chickpea improvement

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a pulse crop of high nutritional value and high importance for sustainable agriculture and soil protection. With the objective of identifying gene-based SNPs, transcriptome sequencing was performed in order to reduce faba bean genome complexity. A set of 1,819 gene-based SNP markers polymorphic in three recombinant line populations was selected to enable the construction of a high-density consensus genetic map encompassing 1,728 markers well distributed in six linkage groups and spanning 1,547.71 cM with an average inter-marker distance of 0.89 cM. Orthology-based comparison of the faba bean consensus map with legume genome assemblies highlighted synteny patterns that partly reflected the phylogenetic relationships among species. Solid blocks of macrosynteny were observed between faba bean and the most closely-related sequenced legume species such as pea, barrel medic or chickpea. Numerous blocks could also be identified in more divergent species such as common bean or cowpea. The genetic tools developed in this work can be used in association mapping, genetic diversity, linkage disequilibrium or comparative genomics and provide a backbone for map-based cloning. This will make the identification of candidate genes of interest more efficient and will accelerate marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic-assisted breeding (GAB) in faba bean.

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Development of new genetic resources for faba bean (Vicia faba L.) breeding through the discovery of gene-based SNP markers and the construction of a high-density consensus map

We report the first annotated chromosome-level reference genome assembly for pea, Gregor Mendel’s original genetic model. Phylogenetics and paleogenomics show genomic rearrangements across legumes and suggest a major role for repetitive elements in pea genome evolution. Compared to other sequenced Leguminosae genomes, the pea genome shows intense gene dynamics, most likely associated with genome size expansion when the Fabeae diverged from its sister tribes. During Pisum evolution, translocation and transposition differentially occurred across lineages. This reference sequence will accelerate our understanding of the molecular basis of agronomically important traits and support crop improvement.

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Cécile Huneau

Papers

A reference genome for pea provides insight into legume genome evolution