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Diouf M, Zoclanclounon YAB, Mboup PA, Diouf D, Malédon E, Rivallan R, Chair H, Dossa K. Genome-wide development of intra- and inter-specific transferable SSR markers and construction of a dynamic web resource for yam molecular breeding: Y2MD. THE PLANT GENOME 2024; 17:e20428. [PMID: 38234122 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Microsatellite markers are widely used in population genetics and breeding. Despite the economic significance of yams in developing countries, there is a paucity of microsatellite markers, and as of now, no comprehensive microsatellite marker database exists. In this study, we conducted genome-wide microsatellite marker development across four yam species, identified cross-species transferable markers, and designed an easy-to-use web portal for the yam researchers. The screening of Dioscorea alata, Dioscorea rotundata, Dioscorea dumetorum, and Dioscorea zingiberensis genomes resulted in 318,713, 322,501, 307,040, and 253,856 microsatellites, respectively. Mono-, di-, and tri-nucleotides were the most important types of repeats in the different species, and a total of 864,128 primer pairs were designed. Furthermore, we identified 1170 cross-species transferable microsatellite markers. Among them, 17 out of 18 randomly selected were experimentally validated with good discriminatory power, regardless of the species and ploidy levels. Ultimately, we created and deployed a dynamic Yam Microsatellite Markers Database (Y2MD) available at https://y2md.ucad.sn/. Y2MD is embedded with various useful tools such as JBrowse, Blast, insilicoPCR, and SSR Finder to facilitate the exploitation of microsatellite markers in yams. This study represents the first comprehensive microsatellite marker mining across several yam species and will contribute to advancing yam genetic research and marker-assisted breeding. The released user-friendly database constitutes a valuable platform for yam researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moussa Diouf
- Département de Mathématiques et Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
- Laboratoire Campus de Biotechnologies Végétales, Département de Biologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Pape Adama Mboup
- Département de Mathématiques et Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Diaga Diouf
- Laboratoire Campus de Biotechnologies Végétales, Département de Biologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Erick Malédon
- UMR AGAP Institut, CIRAD, Petit Bourg, France
- UMR AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Ronan Rivallan
- UMR AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Hâna Chair
- UMR AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Komivi Dossa
- UMR AGAP Institut, CIRAD, Petit Bourg, France
- UMR AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
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Agre PA, Clark LV, Garcia-Oliveira AL, Bohar R, Adebola P, Asiedu R, Terauchi R, Asfaw A. Identification of diagnostic KASP-SNP markers for routine breeding activities in yam (Dioscorea spp.). THE PLANT GENOME 2024; 17:e20419. [PMID: 38093501 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining genetic purity and true-to-type clone identification are important action steps in breeding programs. This study aimed to develop a universal set of kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP)-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for routine breeding activities. Ultra-low-density SNP markers were created using an initial set of 173,675 SNPs that were obtained from whole-genome resequencing of 333 diverse white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) genotypes. From whole-genome resequencing data, 99 putative SNP markers were found and successfully converted to high-throughput KASP genotyping assays. The markers set was validated on 374 genotypes representing six yam species. Out of the 99 markers, 50 were highly polymorphic across the species and could distinguish different yam species and pedigree origins. The selected SNP markers classified the validation population based on the different yam species and identified potential duplicates within yam species. Through penalized analysis, the male parent of progenies involved in polycrosses was successfully predicted and validated. Our research was a trailblazer in validating KASP-based SNP assays for species identification, parental fingerprinting, and quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) in yam breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paterne A Agre
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Lindsay V Clark
- HPCBio, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Ana Luisa Garcia-Oliveira
- Excellence in Breeding (EiB), CIMMYT-ICRAF, UN Av, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Rajaguru Bohar
- Excellence in Breeding (EiB), CIMMYT-ICRISAT, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Patrick Adebola
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Robert Asiedu
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ryohei Terauchi
- Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Japan
| | - Asrat Asfaw
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
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Mota APZ, Dossa K, Lechaudel M, Cornet D, Mournet P, Santoni S, Lopez D, Chaïr H. Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics reveal candidate genes associated with quality traits in Dioscorea alata. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:248. [PMID: 38443859 PMCID: PMC10916269 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10135-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality traits are essential determinants of consumer preferences. Dioscorea alata (Greater Yam), is a starchy tuber crop in tropical regions. However, a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis underlying yam tuber quality remains elusive. To address this knowledge gap, we employed population genomics and candidate gene association approaches to unravel the genetic factors influencing the quality attributes of boiled yam. METHODS AND RESULTS Comparative genomics analysis of 45 plant species revealed numerous novel genes absent in the existing D. alata gene annotation. This approach, adding 48% more genes, significantly enhanced the functional annotation of three crucial metabolic pathways associated with boiled yam quality traits: pentose and glucuronate interconversions, starch and sucrose metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis. In addition, the whole-genome sequencing of 127 genotypes identified 27 genes under selection and 22 genes linked to texture, starch content, and color through a candidate gene association analysis. Notably, five genes involved in starch content and cell wall composition, including 1,3-beta Glucan synthase, β-amylase, and Pectin methyl esterase, were common to both approaches and their expression levels were assessed by transcriptomic data. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of the whole-genome of 127 genotypes of D. alata and the study of three specific pathways allowed the identification of important genes for tuber quality. Our findings provide insights into the genetic basis of yam quality traits and will help the enhancement of yam tuber quality through breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Zotta Mota
- UMR AGAP, CIRAD, 34398, Montpellier, France
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, INRAE, CNRS, Sophia Antipolis, PACA, 06903, France
| | - Komivi Dossa
- UMR AGAP, CIRAD, 34398, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR AGAP Institut, 97170, Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Mathieu Lechaudel
- UMR Qualisud, CIRAD, F97130, Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe, France
- QualiSud, Université Montpellier, Institut Agro, CIRAD, Avignon Université, Université de La Réunion, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Denis Cornet
- UMR AGAP, CIRAD, 34398, Montpellier, France
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Mournet
- UMR AGAP, CIRAD, 34398, Montpellier, France
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Santoni
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - David Lopez
- UMR AGAP, CIRAD, 34398, Montpellier, France.
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France.
| | - Hana Chaïr
- UMR AGAP, CIRAD, 34398, Montpellier, France.
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France.
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Rogo U, Simoni S, Fambrini M, Giordani T, Pugliesi C, Mascagni F. Future-Proofing Agriculture: De Novo Domestication for Sustainable and Resilient Crops. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2374. [PMID: 38397047 PMCID: PMC10888583 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The worldwide agricultural system confronts a significant challenge represented by the increasing demand for food in the face of a growing global population. This challenge is exacerbated by a reduction in cultivable land and the adverse effects of climate change on crop yield quantity and quality. Breeders actively embrace cutting-edge omics technologies to pursue resilient genotypes in response to these pressing issues. In this global context, new breeding techniques (NBTs) are emerging as the future of agriculture, offering a solution to introduce resilient crops that can ensure food security, particularly against challenging climate events. Indeed, the search for domestication genes as well as the genetic modification of these loci in wild species using genome editing tools are crucial steps in carrying out de novo domestication of wild plants without compromising their genetic background. Current knowledge allows us to take different paths from those taken by early Neolithic farmers, where crop domestication has opposed natural selection. In this process traits and alleles negatively correlated with high resource environment performance are probably eradicated through artificial selection, while others may have been lost randomly due to domestication and genetic bottlenecks. Thus, domestication led to highly productive plants with little genetic diversity, owing to the loss of valuable alleles that had evolved to tolerate biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent technological advances have increased the feasibility of de novo domestication of wild plants as a promising approach for crafting optimal crops while ensuring food security and using a more sustainable, low-input agriculture. Here, we explore what crucial domestication genes are, coupled with the advancement of technologies enabling the precise manipulation of target sequences, pointing out de novo domestication as a promising application for future crop development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Claudio Pugliesi
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80-56124 Pisa, Italy; (U.R.); (S.S.); (M.F.); (T.G.); (F.M.)
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Pirzada T, Affokpon A, Guenther RH, Mathew R, Agate S, Blevins A, Byrd MV, Sit TL, Koenning SR, Davis EL, Pal L, Opperman CH, Khan SA. Plant-biomass-based hybrid seed wraps mitigate yield and post-harvest losses among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:148-159. [PMID: 37117858 PMCID: PMC10154224 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00695-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable practices that reduce food loss are essential for enhancing global food security. We report a 'wrap and plant' seed treatment platform to protect crops from soil-borne pathogens. Developed from the abundantly available wastes of banana harvest and recycled old, corrugated cardboard boxes via chemical-free pulping, these paper-like biodegradable seed wraps exhibit tunable integrity and bioavailability of loaded moieties. These wraps were used for nematode control on yam (Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata) seed pieces in Benin, a major producer of this staple crop in the sub-Saharan African 'yam belt'. Our seed wraps loaded with ultra-low-volume abamectin (1/100 ≤ commercial formulation) consistently controlled yam nematode (Scutellonema bradys) populations while considerably increasing the yield at various locations over 2015-2018. Substantial reduction in post-harvest tuber weight loss and cracking was observed after 3 and 5 months of storage, contributing to increased value, nutrition and stakeholders' preference for the wrap and plant treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahira Pirzada
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Antoine Affokpon
- School of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Abomey-Calavi, Benin
| | - Richard H Guenther
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Reny Mathew
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Sachin Agate
- Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Aitana Blevins
- Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Medwick V Byrd
- Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Tim L Sit
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Stephen R Koenning
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Eric L Davis
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Lokendra Pal
- Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Charles H Opperman
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Saad A Khan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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Natsume S, Sugihara Y, Kudoh A, Oikawa K, Shimizu M, Ishikawa Y, Nishihara M, Abe A, Innan H, Terauchi R. Genome Analysis Revives a Forgotten Hybrid Crop Edo-dokoro in the Genus Dioscorea. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 63:1667-1678. [PMID: 35876055 PMCID: PMC9680860 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A rhizomatous Dioscorea crop 'Edo-dokoro' was described in old records of Japan, but its botanical identity has not been characterized. We found that Edo-dokoro is still produced by four farmers in Tohoku-machi of the Aomori prefecture, Japan. The rhizomes of Edo-dokoro are a delicacy to the local people and are sold in the markets. Morphological characters of Edo-dokoro suggest its hybrid origin between the two species, Dioscorea tokoro and Dioscorea tenuipes. Genome analysis revealed that Edo-dokoro likely originated by hybridization of a male D. tokoro to a female D. tenuipes, followed by a backcross with a male plant of D. tokoro. Edo-dokoro is a typical minor crop possibly maintained for more than 300 years but now almost forgotten by the public. We hypothesize that there are many such uncharacterized genetic heritages passed over generations by small-scale farmers that await serious scientific investigation for future use and improvement by using modern genomics information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Natsume
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Yu Sugihara
- Crop Evolution Laboratory, Kyoto University, Mozume, Muko, Kyoto 617-0001, Japan
| | - Aoi Kudoh
- Crop Evolution Laboratory, Kyoto University, Mozume, Muko, Kyoto 617-0001, Japan
| | - Kaori Oikawa
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Motoki Shimizu
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Yuko Ishikawa
- Crop Evolution Laboratory, Kyoto University, Mozume, Muko, Kyoto 617-0001, Japan
| | | | - Akira Abe
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Hideki Innan
- Laboratory of Population Genetics and Genome Evolution, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Ryohei Terauchi
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
- Crop Evolution Laboratory, Kyoto University, Mozume, Muko, Kyoto 617-0001, Japan
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Kipkiror N, Muge EK, Ochieno DMW, Nyaboga EN. DNA barcoding markers provide insight into species discrimination, genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of yam (Dioscorea spp.). Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01244-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Phylogeographic analysis of the Bantu language expansion supports a rainforest route. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112853119. [PMID: 35914165 PMCID: PMC9372543 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112853119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Southern Africa has been shaped by the large-scale expansion of Bantu populations fueled by agriculture: Currently, 240 million people speak one of the more than 500 Bantu languages. However, the timing and geographic routes undergone by the Bantu populations remain largely unknown. We use cutting-edge phylogeographic techniques to show that Bantu populations migrated through the Central African tropical rainforest around 4,400 y ago. This adds to the growing evidence that agricultural expansions can successfully overcome ecological challenges as they unfold. The Bantu expansion transformed the linguistic, economic, and cultural composition of sub-Saharan Africa. However, the exact dates and routes taken by the ancestors of the speakers of the more than 500 current Bantu languages remain uncertain. Here, we use the recently developed “break-away” geographical diffusion model, specially designed for modeling migrations, with “augmented” geographic information, to reconstruct the Bantu language family expansion. This Bayesian phylogeographic approach with augmented geographical data provides a powerful way of linking linguistic, archaeological, and genetic data to test hypotheses about large language family expansions. We compare four hypotheses: an early major split north of the rainforest; a migration through the Sangha River Interval corridor around 2,500 BP; a coastal migration around 4,000 BP; and a migration through the rainforest before the corridor opening, at 4,000 BP. Our results produce a topology and timeline for the Bantu language family, which supports the hypothesis of an expansion through Central African tropical forests at 4,420 BP (4,040 to 5,000 95% highest posterior density interval), well before the Sangha River Interval was open.
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Pathirana R, Carimi F. Management and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for a Sustainable Agriculture. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11152038. [PMID: 35956515 PMCID: PMC9370719 DOI: 10.3390/plants11152038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Despite the dramatic increase in food production thanks to the Green Revolution, hunger is increasing among human populations around the world, affecting one in nine people. The negative environmental and social consequences of industrial monocrop agriculture is becoming evident, particularly in the contexts of greenhouse gas emissions and the increased frequency and impact of zoonotic disease emergence, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Human activity has altered 70–75% of the ice-free Earth’s surface, squeezing nature and wildlife into a corner. To prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide, the UN has launched a Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. In this context, this review describes the origin and diversity of cultivated species, the impact of modern agriculture and other human activities on plant genetic resources, and approaches to conserve and use them to increase food diversity and production with specific examples of the use of crop wild relatives for breeding climate-resilient cultivars that require less chemical and mechanical input. The need to better coordinate in situ conservation efforts with increased funding has been highlighted. We emphasise the need to strengthen the genebank infrastructure, enabling the use of modern biotechnological tools to help in genotyping and characterising accessions plus advanced ex situ conservation methods, identifying gaps in collections, developing core collections, and linking data with international databases. Crop and variety diversification and minimising tillage and other field practices through the development and introduction of herbaceous perennial crops is proposed as an alternative regenerative food system for higher carbon sequestration, sustaining economic benefits for growers, whilst also providing social and environmental benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjith Pathirana
- Plant & Food Research Australia Pty Ltd., Waite Campus Research Precinct—Plant Breeding WT46, University of Adelaide, Waite Rd, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Campus Research Precinct—Plant Breeding WT46, University of Adelaide, Waite Rd, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesco Carimi
- Istituto di Bioscienze e BioRisorse (IBBR), C.N.R., Corso Calatafimi 414, 90129 Palermo, Italy
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Pérez-Escobar OA, Tusso S, Przelomska NAS, Wu S, Ryan P, Nesbitt M, Silber MV, Preick M, Fei Z, Hofreiter M, Chomicki G, Renner SS. Genome sequencing of up to 6,000-yr-old Citrullus seeds reveals use of a bitter-fleshed species prior to watermelon domestication. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6652436. [PMID: 35907246 PMCID: PMC9387916 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Iconographic evidence from Egypt suggests that watermelon pulp was consumed there as a dessert by 4,360 BP. Earlier archaeobotanical evidence comes from seeds from Neolithic settlements in Libya, but whether these were watermelons with sweet pulp or other forms is unknown. We generated genome sequences from 6,000- and 3,300-year-old seeds from Libya and Sudan, and from worldwide herbarium collections made between 1824 and 2019, and analyzed these data together with resequenced genomes from important germplasm collections for a total of 131 accessions. Phylogenomic and population-genomic analyses reveal that (1) much of the nuclear genome of both ancient seeds is traceable to West African seed-use “egusi-type” watermelon (Citrullus mucosospermus) rather than domesticated pulp-use watermelon (Citrullus lanatus ssp. vulgaris); (2) the 6,000-year-old watermelon likely had bitter pulp and greenish-white flesh as today found in C. mucosospermus, given alleles in the bitterness regulators ClBT and in the red color marker LYCB; and (3) both ancient genomes showed admixture from C. mucosospermus, C. lanatus ssp. cordophanus, C. lanatus ssp. vulgaris, and even South African Citrullus amarus, and evident introgression between the Libyan seed (UMB-6) and populations of C. lanatus. An unexpected new insight is that Citrullus appears to have initially been collected or cultivated for its seeds, not its flesh, consistent with seed damage patterns induced by human teeth in the oldest Libyan material.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio Tusso
- Faculty of Biology, Division of Genetics, University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg- Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Shan Wu
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Mark Nesbitt
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AE, United Kingdom
| | - Martina V Silber
- Faculty of Biology, Systematic Botany and Mycology, University of Munich (LMU), 80638 Munich, Germany
| | - Michaela Preick
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Zhangjun Fei
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,USDA-ARS, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michael Hofreiter
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Guillaume Chomicki
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne S Renner
- Faculty of Biology, Systematic Botany and Mycology, University of Munich (LMU), 80638 Munich, Germany.,Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
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Tripathi L, Dhugga KS, Ntui VO, Runo S, Syombua ED, Muiruri S, Wen Z, Tripathi JN. Genome Editing for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:876697. [PMID: 35647578 PMCID: PMC9133388 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.876697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustainable intensification of agriculture in Africa is essential for accomplishing food and nutritional security and addressing the rising concerns of climate change. There is an urgent need to close the yield gap in staple crops and enhance food production to feed the growing population. In order to meet the increasing demand for food, more efficient approaches to produce food are needed. All the tools available in the toolbox, including modern biotechnology and traditional, need to be applied for crop improvement. The full potential of new breeding tools such as genome editing needs to be exploited in addition to conventional technologies. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas)-based genome editing has rapidly become the most prevalent genetic engineering approach for developing improved crop varieties because of its simplicity, efficiency, specificity, and easy to use. Genome editing improves crop variety by modifying its endogenous genome free of any foreign gene. Hence, genome-edited crops with no foreign gene integration are not regulated as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in several countries. Researchers are using CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing for improving African staple crops for biotic and abiotic stress resistance and improved nutritional quality. Many products, such as disease-resistant banana, maize resistant to lethal necrosis, and sorghum resistant to the parasitic plant Striga and enhanced quality, are under development for African farmers. There is a need for creating an enabling environment in Africa with science-based regulatory guidelines for the release and adoption of the products developed using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Some progress has been made in this regard. Nigeria and Kenya have recently published the national biosafety guidelines for the regulation of gene editing. This article summarizes recent advances in developments of tools, potential applications of genome editing for improving staple crops, and regulatory policies in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Tripathi
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi, Kenya
- *Correspondence: Leena Tripathi,
| | | | - Valentine O. Ntui
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Easter D. Syombua
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samwel Muiruri
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Zhengyu Wen
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
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12
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Circum-Saharan Prehistory through the Lens of mtDNA Diversity. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13030533. [PMID: 35328086 PMCID: PMC8951852 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
African history has been significantly influenced by the Sahara, which has represented a barrier for migrations of all living beings, including humans. Major exceptions were the gene flow events that took place between North African and sub-Saharan populations during the so-called African Humid Periods, especially in the Early Holocene (11.5 to 5.5 thousand years ago), and more recently in connection with trans-Saharan commercial routes. In this study, we describe mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity of human populations from both sides of the Sahara Desert, i.e., both from North Africa and the Sahel/Savannah belt. The final dataset of 7213 mtDNA sequences from 134 African populations encompasses 470 newly collected and 6743 previously published samples, which were analyzed using descriptive methods and Bayesian statistics. We completely sequenced 26 mtDNAs from sub-Saharan samples belonging to the Eurasian haplogroup N1. Analyses of these N1 mitogenomes revealed their possible routes to the Sahel, mostly via Bab el-Mandab. Our results indicate that maternal gene flow must have been important in this circum-Saharan space, not only within North Africa and the Sahel/Savannah belt but also between these two regions.
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13
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Kulichová I, Mouterde M, Mokhtar MG, Diallo I, Tříska P, Diallo YM, Hofmanová Z, Poloni ES, Černý V. Demographic history was a formative mechanism of the genetic structure for the taste receptor TAS2R16 in human populations inhabiting Africa's Sahel/Savannah Belt. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:540-555. [PMID: 34846066 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Mode of subsistence is an important factor influencing dietary habits and the genetic structure of various populations through differential intensity of gene flow and selection pressures. Previous studies suggest that in Africa Taste 2 Receptor Member 16 (TAS2R16), which encodes the 7-transmembrane receptor protein for bitterness, might also be under positive selection pressure. METHODS However, since sampling coverage of populations was limited, we created a new TAS2R16 population dataset from across the African Sahel/Savannah belt representing various local populations of differing subsistence modes, linguistic affiliations, and geographic provenience. We sequenced the TAS2R16 exon gene and analyzed 2250 haplotypes among 19 populations. RESULTS We found no evidence for selection as a driving force of genetic variation at this locus; instead, we discovered a highly significant correlation between TAS2R16 genetic and geographical distances based on provenience of the sampled populations, strongly suggesting that genetic drift most likely prevailed over positive selection at this specific locus. We also found significant correlations with other independent loci, mainly in sedentary farmers. DISCUSSION Our results do not support the notion that the genetic diversity of TAS2R16 in Sahelian populations was shaped by selective pressures. This could result from several alternative and not mutually exclusive mechanisms, of which the possibility that, due to the pleiotropic nature of TAS2R16, selective pressures on other traits could counterbalance those acting on bitter taste perception, or that the change of diet in the Neolithic generally relaxed selective pressure on this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Kulichová
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Médéric Mouterde
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mohammed G Mokhtar
- Arabic Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Kordofan, Al-Ubayyid, Sudan
| | - Issa Diallo
- Département de Linguistique et Langues Nationales, Institut des Sciences des Sociétés, CNRST, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Petr Tříska
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yoro Mame Diallo
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Hofmanová
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Archaeology and Museology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Estella S Poloni
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Viktor Černý
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
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14
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Agre PA, Darkwa K, Olasanmi B, Kolade O, Mournet P, Bhattacharjee R, Lopez-Montes A, De Koeyer D, Adebola P, Kumar L, Asiedu R, Asfaw A. Identification of QTLs Controlling Resistance to Anthracnose Disease in Water Yam (Dioscorea alata). Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020347. [PMID: 35205389 PMCID: PMC8872494 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthracnose disease caused by a fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the primary cause of yield loss in water yam (Dioscorea alata), the widely cultivated species of yam. Resistance to yam anthracnose disease (YAD) is a prime target in breeding initiatives to develop durable-resistant cultivars for sustainable management of the disease in water yam cultivation. This study aimed at tagging quantitative trait loci (QTL) for anthracnose disease resistance in a bi-parental mapping population of D. alata. Parent genotypes and their recombinant progenies were genotyped using the Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) platform and phenotyped in two crop cycles for two years. A high-density genetic linkage map was built with 3184 polymorphic Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (NSP) markers well distributed across the genome, covering 1460.94 cM total length. On average, 163 SNP markers were mapped per chromosome with 0.58 genetic distances between SNPs. Four QTL regions related to yam anthracnose disease resistance were identified on three chromosomes. The proportion of phenotypic variance explained by these QTLs ranged from 29.54 to 39.40%. The QTL regions identified showed genes that code for known plant defense responses such as GDSL-like Lipase/Acylhydrolase, Protein kinase domain, and F-box protein. The results from the present study provide valuable insight into the genetic architecture of anthracnose resistance in water yam. The candidate markers identified herewith form a relevant resource to apply marker-assisted selection as an alternative to a conventional labor-intensive screening for anthracnose resistance in water yam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paterne Angelot Agre
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan 5320, Nigeria; (P.A.A.); (O.K.); (R.B.); (P.A.); (L.K.); (R.A.)
| | - Kwabena Darkwa
- Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Tamale P.O. Box TL 52, Ghana;
| | - Bunmi Olasanmi
- Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200284, Nigeria;
| | - Olufisayo Kolade
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan 5320, Nigeria; (P.A.A.); (O.K.); (R.B.); (P.A.); (L.K.); (R.A.)
| | - Pierre Mournet
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, 34398 Montpellier, France;
- Amelioration Génétic et Adoption des Plants Méditerranéennes et Tropical AGAP, Universisté de Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Ranjana Bhattacharjee
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan 5320, Nigeria; (P.A.A.); (O.K.); (R.B.); (P.A.); (L.K.); (R.A.)
| | - Antonio Lopez-Montes
- International Trade Centre (ITC), Addison House International Trade Fair Center, FAGE, Accra GA145, Ghana;
| | - David De Koeyer
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton, NB 20280, Canada;
| | - Patrick Adebola
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan 5320, Nigeria; (P.A.A.); (O.K.); (R.B.); (P.A.); (L.K.); (R.A.)
| | - Lava Kumar
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan 5320, Nigeria; (P.A.A.); (O.K.); (R.B.); (P.A.); (L.K.); (R.A.)
| | - Robert Asiedu
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan 5320, Nigeria; (P.A.A.); (O.K.); (R.B.); (P.A.); (L.K.); (R.A.)
| | - Asrat Asfaw
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan 5320, Nigeria; (P.A.A.); (O.K.); (R.B.); (P.A.); (L.K.); (R.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +234-8039-784-287
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15
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Diversity, trait preferences, management and utilization of yams landraces (Dioscorea species): an orphan crop in DR Congo. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2252. [PMID: 35145169 PMCID: PMC8831613 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06265-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is cultivated in many villages of DR Congo as a means to sustain food security and alleviate poverty. However, the extent of the existing diversity has not been studied in details thus, considered as an orphan. A survey covering 540 farmers in 54 villages was conducted in six major yam growing territories covering three provinces in DR Congo to investigate the diversity, management and utilization of yam landraces using pre-elaborate questionnaires. Subject to synonymy, a total of 67 landraces from five different species were recorded. Farmers’ challenges limiting yam production were poor tuber qualities (69%), harvest pest attack (7%), difficulty in harvesting (6%), poor soil status (6%). The overall diversity was moderate among the recorded yam germplasm maintained at the household level (1.32) and variability exist in diversity amongst the territories and provinces. Farmers’ in territories of Tshopo and Mongala provinces maintained higher level of germplasm diversity (2.79 and 2.77) compared to the farmers in territories of Bas-Uélé (1.67). Some yam landraces had limited abundance and distribution due to loss of production interest in many villages attributable to poisons contained hence, resulting in possible extinction. Farmers’ most preferred seed source for cultivation were backyard (43%) and exchange with neighboring farmers (31%) with the objective of meeting food security and generating income. In villages where yam production is expanding, farmers are relying on landraces with good tuber qualities and high yield even though they are late maturing. This study revealed the knowledge of yam landrace diversity, constraints to production and farmers’ preferences criteria as a guide for collection and conservation of yam germplasm for yam improvement intervention.
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16
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Grimaldi IM, Van Andel TR, Denham TP. Looking beyond history: tracing the dispersal of the Malaysian complex of crops to Africa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:193-208. [PMID: 35119100 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In his 1959 book, Africa: Its Peoples and Their Culture History, George P. Murdock suggested that a Malaysian complex of crops dispersed to Africa in ancient times across the Indian Ocean along the Sabaean Lane. The Malaysian complex comprised bananas, sugarcane, taro, three yam species, rice, Polynesian arrowroot, breadfruit, coconut, areca palm, and betel leaf. Except for rice, arrowroot, and potentially taro, most of these crops were domesticated in the Island Southeast Asia-New Guinea region, from where they dispersed to Africa. Our reassessment of agronomic, archaeological, classical, genetic, and historical sources shows that we need to go beneath standard historical narratives to recover a much more ancient and complex history of crop introductions to Africa. Despite considerable uncertainty and fragmented research, we were able to conclude that the Malaysian complex of crops did not arrive in Africa as a complete assemblage at one time or along one route. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that these crops arrived in Africa at different times and followed different pathways of introduction to the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria M Grimaldi
- Office of Innovation-Research and Extension (OINR), Food and Agriculture Organization of UN (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, 00153, Italy
| | - Tinde R Van Andel
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands
| | - Tim P Denham
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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17
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Pardo J, VanBuren R. Evolutionary innovations driving abiotic stress tolerance in C4 grasses and cereals. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:3391-3401. [PMID: 34387354 PMCID: PMC8566246 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands dominate the terrestrial landscape, and grasses have evolved complex and elegant strategies to overcome abiotic stresses. The C4 grasses are particularly stress tolerant and thrive in tropical and dry temperate ecosystems. Growing evidence suggests that the presence of C4 photosynthesis alone is insufficient to account for drought resilience in grasses, pointing to other adaptations as contributing to tolerance traits. The majority of grasses from the Chloridoideae subfamily are tolerant to drought, salt, and desiccation, making this subfamily a hub of resilience. Here, we discuss the evolutionary innovations that make C4 grasses so resilient, with a particular emphasis on grasses from the Chloridoideae (chloridoid) and Panicoideae (panicoid) subfamilies. We propose that a baseline level of resilience in chloridoid ancestors allowed them to colonize harsh habitats, and these environments drove selective pressure that enabled the repeated evolution of abiotic stress tolerance traits. Furthermore, we suggest that a lack of evolutionary access to stressful environments is partially responsible for the relatively poor stress resilience of major C4 crops compared to their wild relatives. We propose that chloridoid crops and the subfamily more broadly represent an untapped reservoir for improving resilience to drought and other abiotic stresses in cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Pardo
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Robert VanBuren
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
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18
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Munguía-Rosas MA. Artificial selection optimizes clonality in chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius). Sci Rep 2021; 11:21017. [PMID: 34697356 PMCID: PMC8546088 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00592-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The clonal propagation of crops offers several advantages to growers, such as skipping the juvenile phase, faster growth, and reduced mortality. However, it is not known if the wild ancestors of most clonal crops have a similar ability to reproduce clonally. Therefore, it is unclear whether clonality was an ancestral condition, or if it evolved during domestication in the majority of these crops. Here, I assessed some traits that are relevant to clonal propagation using stem cuttings from chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) and compared these traits to those of its wild ancestor. Chaya is highly relevant crop to food security in its domestication center (Yucatan Peninsula) and is now cultivated in several countries. Chaya is also an excellent model for assessing the effect of domestication on clonality because wild relatives and selection targets are known. Specifically, I compared resistance to desiccation, water and resource storage, as well as the production of new organs (shoots and leaves) by the stems of wild and domesticated plants. I also compared their performance in root development and clone survival. I found that, relative to their wild ancestors, the stem cuttings of domesticated chaya had 1.1 times greater storage capacity for water and starch. Additionally, the stems of domesticated plants produced 1.25 times more roots, 2.69 times more shoots and 1.94 more leaves, and their clones lived 1.87 times longer than their wild relatives. In conclusion, the results suggest that artificial selection has optimized water and starch storage by stems in chaya. Because these traits also confer greater fitness (i.e. increased fecundity and survival of clones), they can be considered adaptations to clonal propagation in the agroecosystems where this crop is cultivated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Munguía-Rosas
- Laboratorio de Ecología Terrestre, Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), 97310, Mérida, México.
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19
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Fernie AR, Alseekh S, Liu J, Yan J. Using precision phenotyping to inform de novo domestication. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 186:1397-1411. [PMID: 33848336 PMCID: PMC8260140 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
An update on the use of precision phenotyping to assess the potential of lesser cultivated species as candidates for de novo domestication or similar development for future agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- Centre of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Author for communication: (A.R.F.)
| | - Saleh Alseekh
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- Centre of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Jie Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, China
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20
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Farmers’ perceptions on varietal diversity, trait preferences and diversity management of bush yam (Dioscorea praehensilis Benth.) in Ghana. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e00808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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21
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Worojie TB, Asfaw BT, Mengesha WA. Cultivation and possible domestication of feral and possibly wild yams ( Dioscorea spp.) in Southwest Ethiopia: ethnobotanical and morphological evidence. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2021; 16:1879531. [PMID: 33678151 PMCID: PMC8078503 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2021.1879531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The far Southwest Ethiopians transplant wild plant species to their gardens. One of such plant is the Dioscorea that we studied to assess the knowledge of wild yam and process of domestication. The study links two types of evidence to obtain insight about the process of yam domestication. We analyze two data sets derived from (1) ethnobotanical survey using 231 semi-structured interviews; and (2) morphological study in 47 yam accessions. Our study revealed that domestication is still active in some villages. Knowledge of yam domestication was shared by 44% of the farmers' even by those that have never practiced its domestication. Farmers who can describe the trend of domestication and the morphotypes of domesticate represented 21 and 28%, respectively. Farmers who have recent transplants in their garden varied from 4% in Bench to 10% in Sheko. The domestication process described by the two ethnic groups is similar. The duration of domestication can take up to six years, but with most of the individuals, it only takes three to five years. By linking the two types of evidence, two evolutionary processes are distinguished: (1) populations of recent domesticate expressing a domestication syndrome possibly belongs to the wild D. abyssinica or D. praehensilis, and (2) plants of incipient domesticate that might be derived from volunteers or diverse types of hybrids. Each of these processes can lead to integration of wild genotypes into the cultivated gene pool, and hence, enhance genetic diversity of cultivated yams. The domestication practices of traditional farmers should thus be taken into account if yam conservation and improvement plans need to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsegaye Babege Worojie
- Mizan-Tepi University, Department of Horticulture, Mizan-Aman, Ethiopia
- School of Plant and Horticulture Science, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
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22
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Shen QK, Peng MS, Adeola AC, Kui L, Duan S, Miao YW, Eltayeb NM, Lichoti JK, Otecko NO, Strillacci MG, Gorla E, Bagnato A, Charles OS, Sanke OJ, Dawuda PM, Okeyoyin AO, Musina J, Njoroge P, Agwanda B, Kusza S, Nanaei HA, Pedar R, Xu MM, Du Y, Nneji LM, Murphy RW, Wang MS, Esmailizadeh A, Dong Y, Ommeh SC, Zhang YP. Genomic Analyses of Unveil Helmeted Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris) Domestication in West Africa. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6261762. [PMID: 34009300 PMCID: PMC8214406 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestication of the helmeted guinea fowl (HGF; Numida meleagris) in Africa remains elusive. Here we report a high-quality de novo genome assembly for domestic HGF generated by long- and short-reads sequencing together with optical and chromatin interaction mapping. Using this assembly as the reference, we performed population genomic analyses for newly sequenced whole-genomes for 129 birds from Africa, Asia, and Europe, including domestic animals (n = 89), wild progenitors (n = 34), and their closely related wild species (n = 6). Our results reveal domestication of HGF in West Africa around 1,300-5,500 years ago. Scanning for selective signals characterized the functional genes in behavior and locomotion changes involved in domestication of HGF. The pleiotropy and linkage in genes affecting plumage color and fertility were revealed in the recent breeding of Italian domestic HGF. In addition to presenting a missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle of domestication in poultry, our study provides valuable genetic resources for researchers and breeders to improve production in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan-Kuan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Min-Sheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Adeniyi C Adeola
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.,Centre for Biotechnology Research, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Ling Kui
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Yong-Wang Miao
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Nada M Eltayeb
- Department of Animal breeding and Reproduction Technology, College of Animal Production, University of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Jacqueline K Lichoti
- State Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture Livestock Fisheries and Irrigation, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Newton O Otecko
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | | | - Erica Gorla
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bagnato
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | | | - Oscar J Sanke
- Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jalingo, Nigeria
| | - Philip M Dawuda
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria
| | - Agboola O Okeyoyin
- National Park Service Headquarter, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - John Musina
- Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter Njoroge
- Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Bernard Agwanda
- Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Szilvia Kusza
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Rana Pedar
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran
| | - Ming-Min Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yuan Du
- Nowbio Biotechnology Company, Kunming, China
| | - Lotanna M Nneji
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Robert W Murphy
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ming-Shan Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, California, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Ali Esmailizadeh
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran
| | - Yang Dong
- College of Biological Big Data, Yunnan Agriculture University, Kunming, China.,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory for Agro-Biodiversity and Pest Control of Ministry of Education, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Sheila C Ommeh
- Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.,Institute of Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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23
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Abrouk M, Athiyannan N, Müller T, Pailles Y, Stritt C, Roulin AC, Chu C, Liu S, Morita T, Handa H, Poland J, Keller B, Krattinger SG. Population genomics and haplotype analysis in spelt and bread wheat identifies a gene regulating glume color. Commun Biol 2021; 4:375. [PMID: 33742098 PMCID: PMC7979816 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01908-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The cloning of agriculturally important genes is often complicated by haplotype variation across crop cultivars. Access to pan-genome information greatly facilitates the assessment of structural variations and rapid candidate gene identification. Here, we identified the red glume 1 (Rg-B1) gene using association genetics and haplotype analyses in ten reference grade wheat genomes. Glume color is an important trait to characterize wheat cultivars. Red glumes are frequent among Central European spelt, a dominant wheat subspecies in Europe before the 20th century. We used genotyping-by-sequencing to characterize a global diversity panel of 267 spelt accessions, which provided evidence for two independent introductions of spelt into Europe. A single region at the Rg-B1 locus on chromosome 1BS was associated with glume color in the diversity panel. Haplotype comparisons across ten high-quality wheat genomes revealed a MYB transcription factor as candidate gene. We found extensive haplotype variation across the ten cultivars, with a particular group of MYB alleles that was conserved in red glume wheat cultivars. Genetic mapping and transient infiltration experiments allowed us to validate this particular MYB transcription factor variants. Our study demonstrates the value of multiple high-quality genomes to rapidly resolve copy number and haplotype variations in regions controlling agriculturally important traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Abrouk
- Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naveenkumar Athiyannan
- Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thomas Müller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yveline Pailles
- Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christoph Stritt
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne C Roulin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Shuyu Liu
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Amarillo, TX, USA
| | - Takumi Morita
- Department of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Handa
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jesse Poland
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Beat Keller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon G Krattinger
- Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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24
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Larranaga N, van Zonneveld M, Hormaza JI. Holocene land and sea-trade routes explain complex patterns of pre-Columbian crop dispersion. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1768-1781. [PMID: 33089900 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Pre-Columbian crop movement remains poorly understood, hampering a good interpretation of the domestication and diversification of Neotropical crops. To provide new insights into pre-Columbian crop movement, we applied spatial genetics to identify and compare dispersal routes of three American crops between Mesoamerica and the Andes, two important centres of pre-Columbian crop and cultural diversity. Our analysis included georeferenced simple-sequence repeats (SSR) marker datasets of 1852 genotypes of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.), a perennial fruit crop that became underutilised in the Americas after the European conquest, 770 genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) and 476 genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Our findings show that humans brought cherimoya from Mesoamerica to present Peru through long-distance sea-trade routes across the Pacific Ocean at least 4700 yr bp, after more ancient dispersion of maize and other crops through the Mesoamerican isthmus over land and near-coastal waters. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of pre-Columbian crop movement between Mesoamerica and the Andes across the Pacific Ocean providing new insights into pre-Columbian crop exchange in the Americas. We propose that cherimoya represents a wider group of perennial fruit crops dispersed by humans via sea-trade routes between Mesoamerica and the Andes across the Pacific Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Larranaga
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterranea La Mayora (IHSM La Mayora - CSIC - UMA), Algarrobo, 29750, Spain
- IMAREFI, University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, 45110, México
| | - Maarten van Zonneveld
- Genetic Resources and Seed Unit, World Vegetable Center, Shanhua, 74151, Taiwan
- Bioversity International, Turrialba, Costa Rica, 7170, Spain
| | - Jose I Hormaza
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterranea La Mayora (IHSM La Mayora - CSIC - UMA), Algarrobo, 29750, Spain
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25
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Sugihara Y, Darkwa K, Yaegashi H, Natsume S, Shimizu M, Abe A, Hirabuchi A, Ito K, Oikawa K, Tamiru-Oli M, Ohta A, Matsumoto R, Agre P, De Koeyer D, Pachakkil B, Yamanaka S, Muranaka S, Takagi H, White B, Asiedu R, Innan H, Asfaw A, Adebola P, Terauchi R. Genome analyses reveal the hybrid origin of the staple crop white Guinea yam ( Dioscorea rotundata). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31987-31992. [PMID: 33268496 PMCID: PMC7749330 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015830117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
White Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata) is an important staple tuber crop in West Africa. However, its origin remains unclear. In this study, we resequenced 336 accessions of white Guinea yam and compared them with the sequences of wild Dioscorea species using an improved reference genome sequence of D. rotundata In contrast to a previous study suggesting that D. rotundata originated from a subgroup of Dioscorea praehensilis, our results suggest a hybrid origin of white Guinea yam from crosses between the wild rainforest species D. praehensilis and the savannah-adapted species Dioscorea abyssinica We identified a greater genomic contribution from D. abyssinica in the sex chromosome of Guinea yam and extensive introgression around the SWEETIE gene. Our findings point to a complex domestication scenario for Guinea yam and highlight the importance of wild species as gene donors for improving this crop through molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sugihara
- Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kwabena Darkwa
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria
| | - Hiroki Yaegashi
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Satoshi Natsume
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Motoki Shimizu
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Akira Abe
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Akiko Hirabuchi
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Kazue Ito
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Kaori Oikawa
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
| | - Muluneh Tamiru-Oli
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
- Department of Animal, Plant, and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Atsushi Ohta
- Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Ryo Matsumoto
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria
| | - Paterne Agre
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria
| | - David De Koeyer
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria
- Fredericton Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton, NB E3B 4Z7, Canada
| | - Babil Pachakkil
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8686, Japan
- Department of International Agricultural Development, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo 183-8538, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Yamanaka
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8686, Japan
| | - Satoru Muranaka
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8686, Japan
| | - Hiroko Takagi
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8686, Japan
| | - Ben White
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Asiedu
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria
| | - Hideki Innan
- Laboratory of Population Genetics and Genome Evolution, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama 240-0193, Japan
| | - Asrat Asfaw
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria;
| | - Patrick Adebola
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria;
| | - Ryohei Terauchi
- Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
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26
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Sousa EC, Raizada MN. Contributions of African Crops to American Culture and Beyond: The Slave Trade and Other Journeys of Resilient Peoples and Crops. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.586340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a general unawareness of food crops indigenous to the African continent that have contributed to Western culture. This under-appreciation is particularly relevant in the current context of societal movements to end historic racism and value the contributions of peoples of African origin and African skin colors. Lack of awareness of the contributions of Africa's crops has negative practical consequences, including inadequate investments in preserving and maximizing the use of crop diversity to facilitate breeding. This paper provides an overview and analysis of African crops that have made significant contributions to the United States and globally, and/or hold potential in the twenty-first century. The paper specifically discusses watermelon, coffee, kola, rooibos, oil palm, shea, cowpea/black eyed pea, leafy greens, okra, yam, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, teff, and fonio. The review focuses on the intersection of these crops with racialized peoples, with a particular focus on African-Americans starting with slavery. The analysis includes the sites of domestication of African crops, their historical migration out of Africa, their sociocultural contributions to cuisines and products around the world, their uses today, and the indigenous knowledge associated with traditional cultivation and landrace selection. The untapped potential of local genetic resources and indigenous agronomic strategies are also described. The review demonstrates that African crops played an important role in the development of American cuisine, beverages and household products. Many of these crops are nutritious, high value and stress tolerant. The paper concludes that African crops hold significant promise in improving the resiliency of global food production systems, to mitigate climate change and alleviate food insecurity and rural poverty, especially in dry regions of the world. It is hoped that this review contributes to teaching the next generation of agriculturalists, food scientists and international development professionals about the valuable contributions of Africa's resilient crops and peoples.
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27
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Zonneveld M, Kindt R, Solberg SØ, N'Danikou S, Dawson IK. Diversity and conservation of traditional African vegetables: Priorities for action. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Zonneveld
- Genetic Resources and Seed Unit World Vegetable CenterHeadquarters Shanhua Taiwan
| | | | - Svein Ø. Solberg
- Faculty of Applied Ecology Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Elverum Norway
| | - Sognigbé N'Danikou
- World Vegetable Center, Eastern and Southern Africa office Arusha Tanzania
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28
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Černý V, Fortes-Lima C, Tříska P. Demographic history and admixture dynamics in African Sahelian populations. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 30:R29-R36. [PMID: 33105478 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sahel/Savannah belt of Africa is a contact zone between two subsistence systems (nomadic pastoralism and sedentary farming) and of two groups of populations, namely Eurasians penetrating from northern Africa southwards and sub-Saharan Africans migrating northwards. Because pastoralism is characterized by a high degree of mobility, it leaves few significant archaeological traces. Demographic history seen through the lens of population genetic studies complements our historical and archaeological knowledge in this African region. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of demographic history in the Sahel/Savannah belt as revealed by genetic studies. We show the impact of food-producing subsistence strategies on population structure and the somewhat different migration patterns in the western and eastern part of the region. Genomic studies show that the gene pool of various groups of Sahelians consists in a complex mosaic of several ancestries. We also touch upon various signals of genetic adaptations such as lactase persistence, taste sensitivity and malaria resistance, all of which have different distribution patterns among Sahelian populations. Overall, genetic studies contribute to gain a deeper understanding about the demographic and adaptive history of human populations in this specific African region and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Černý
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Cesar Fortes-Lima
- Subdepartment of Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Petr Tříska
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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29
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Epping J, Laibach N. An underutilized orphan tuber crop-Chinese yam : a review. PLANTA 2020; 252:58. [PMID: 32959173 PMCID: PMC7505826 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03458-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION The diversification of food crops can improve our diets and address the effects of climate change, and in this context the orphan crop Chinese yam shows significant potential as a functional food. As the effects of climate change become increasingly visible even in temperate regions, there is an urgent need to diversify our crops in order to address hunger and malnutrition. This has led to the re-evaluation of neglected species such as Chinese yam (Dioscorea polystachya Turcz.), which has been cultivated for centuries in East Asia as a food crop and as a widely-used ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. The tubers are rich in nutrients, but also contain bioactive metabolites such as resistant starches, steroidal sapogenins (like diosgenin), the storage protein dioscorin, and mucilage polysaccharides. These health-promoting products can help to prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and disorders of the gut microbiome. Whereas most edible yams are tropical species, Chinese yam could be cultivated widely in Europe and other temperate regions to take advantage of its nutritional and bioactive properties. However, this is a laborious process and agronomic knowledge is fragmented. The underground tubers contain most of the starch, but are vulnerable to breaking and thus difficult to harvest. Breeding to improve tuber shape is complex given the dioecious nature of the species, the mostly vegetative reproduction via bulbils, and the presence of more than 100 chromosomes. Protocols have yet to be established for in vitro cultivation and genetic transformation, which limits the scope of research. This article summarizes the sparse research landscape and evaluates the nutritional and medical applications of Chinese yam. By highlighting the potential of Chinese yam tubers, we aim to encourage the adoption of this orphan crop as a novel functional food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Epping
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Muenster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Muenster, Germany.
| | - Natalie Laibach
- Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 174, 53115, Bonn, Germany
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30
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Comparative assessment of genetic diversity matrices and clustering methods in white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata) based on morphological and molecular markers. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13191. [PMID: 32764649 PMCID: PMC7413250 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69925-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the diversity and genetic relationships among and within crop germplasm is invaluable for genetic improvement. This study assessed genetic diversity in a panel of 173 D. rotundata accessions using joint analysis for 23 morphological traits and 136,429 SNP markers from the whole-genome resequencing platform. Various diversity matrices and clustering methods were evaluated for a comprehensive characterization of genetic diversity in white Guinea yam from West Africa at phenotypic and molecular levels. The translation of the different diversity matrices from the phenotypic and genomic information into distinct groups varied with the hierarchal clustering methods used. Gower distance matrix based on phenotypic data and identity by state (IBS) distance matrix based on SNP data with the UPGMA clustering method found the best fit to dissect the genetic relationship in current set materials. However, the grouping pattern was inconsistent (r = − 0.05) between the morphological and molecular distance matrices due to the non-overlapping information between the two data types. Joint analysis for the phenotypic and molecular information maximized a comprehensive estimate of the actual diversity in the evaluated materials. The results from our study provide valuable insights for measuring quantitative genetic variability for breeding and genetic studies in yam and other root and tuber crops.
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31
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Zhang YM, Chen M, Sun L, Wang Y, Yin J, Liu J, Sun XQ, Hang YY. Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of NBS-LRR Genes From Dioscorea rotundata. Front Genet 2020; 11:484. [PMID: 32457809 PMCID: PMC7224235 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Dioscorea rotundata is an important food crop that is mainly cultivated in subtropical regions of the world. D. rotundata is frequently infected by various pathogens during its lifespan, which results in a substantial economic loss in terms of yield and quality. The disease resistance gene (R gene) profile of D. rotundata is largely unknown, which has greatly hampered molecular study of disease resistance in this species. Nucleotide-binding site–leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) genes are the largest group of plant R genes, and they play important roles in plant defense responses to various pathogens. In this study, 167 NBS-LRR genes were identified from the D. rotundata genome. Subsequently, one gene was assigned to the resistance to powdery mildew8 (RPW8)-NBS-LRR (RNL) subclass and the other 166 genes to the coiled coil (CC)-NBS-LRR (CNL) subclass. None of the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR)-NBS-LRR (TNL) genes were detected in the genome. Among them, 124 genes are located in 25 multigene clusters and 43 genes are singletons. Tandem duplication serves as the major force for the cluster arrangement of NBS-LRR genes. Segmental duplication was detected for 18 NBS-LRR genes, although no whole-genome duplication has been documented for the species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that D. rotundata NBS-LRR genes share 15 ancestral lineages with Arabidopsis thaliana genes. The NBS-LRR gene number increased by more than a factor of 10 during D. rotundata evolution. A conservatively evolved ancestral lineage was identified from D. rotundata, which is orthologs to the Arabidopsis RPM1 gene. Transcriptome analysis for four different tissues of D. rotundata revealed a low expression of most NBS-LRR genes, with the tuber and leaf displaying a relatively high NBS-LRR gene expression than the stem and flower. Overall, this study provides a complete set of NBS-LRR genes for D. rotundata, which may serve as a fundamental resource for mining functional NBS-LRR genes against various pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Mei Zhang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Chen
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Sun
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianmei Yin
- Institute of Industrial Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao-Qin Sun
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue-Yu Hang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
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32
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Denham T, Barton H, Castillo C, Crowther A, Dotte-Sarout E, Florin SA, Pritchard J, Barron A, Zhang Y, Fuller DQ. The domestication syndrome in vegetatively propagated field crops. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:581-597. [PMID: 31903489 PMCID: PMC7102979 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vegetatively propagated crops are globally significant in terms of current agricultural production, as well as for understanding the long-term history of early agriculture and plant domestication. Today, significant field crops include sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), manioc (Manihot esculenta), bananas and plantains (Musa cvs), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), yams (Dioscorea spp.) and taro (Colocasia esculenta). In comparison with sexually reproduced crops, especially cereals and legumes, the domestication syndrome in vegetatively propagated field crops is poorly defined. AIMS AND SCOPE Here, a range of phenotypic traits potentially comprising a syndrome associated with early domestication of vegetatively propagated field crops is proposed, including: mode of reproduction, yield of edible portion, ease of harvesting, defensive adaptations, timing of production and plant architecture. The archaeobotanical visibility of these syndrome traits is considered with a view to the reconstruction of the geographical and historical pathways of domestication for vegetatively propagated field crops in the past. CONCLUSIONS Although convergent phenotypic traits are identified, none of them are ubiquitous and some are divergent. In contrast to cereals and legumes, several traits seem to represent varying degrees of plastic response to growth environment and practices of cultivation, as opposed to solely morphogenetic 'fixation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Denham
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Huw Barton
- School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, UK
| | - Cristina Castillo
- University College London, Institute of Archaeology, 31–34 Gordon Square, London, UK
| | - Alison Crowther
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Emilie Dotte-Sarout
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Business, Law & Education, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - S Anna Florin
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jenifer Pritchard
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Aleese Barron
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Yekun Zhang
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Dorian Q Fuller
- University College London, Institute of Archaeology, 31–34 Gordon Square, London, UK
- School of Archaeology and Museology, Northwest University, Xian, Shaanxi, China
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