Complementing model species with model clades

Model species continue to underpin groundbreaking plant science research. At the same time, the phylogenetic resolution of the land plant tree of life continues to improve. The intersection of these 2 research paths creates a unique opportunity to further extend the usefulness of model species across larger taxonomic groups. Here we promote the utility of the Arabidopsis thaliana model species, especially the ability to connect its genetic and functional resources, to species across the entire Brassicales order. We focus on the utility of using genomics and phylogenomics to bridge the evolution and diversification of several traits across the Brassicales to the resources in Arabidopsis, thereby extending scope from a model species by establishing a "model clade." These Brassicales-wide traits are discussed in the context of both the model species Arabidopsis and the family Brassicaceae. We promote the utility of such a "model clade" and make suggestions for building global networks to support future studies in the model order Brassicales.

A chromosome-scale assembly for 'd'Anjou' pear

Cultivated pear consists of several Pyrus species with Pyrus communis (European pear) representing a large fraction of worldwide production. As a relatively recently domesticated crop and perennial tree, pear can benefit from genome-assisted breeding. Additionally, comparative genomics within Rosaceae promises greater understanding of evolution within this economically important family. Here, we generate a fully phased chromosome-scale genome assembly of P. communis 'd'Anjou.' Using PacBio HiFi and Dovetail Omni-C reads, the genome is resolved into the expected 17 chromosomes, with each haplotype totaling nearly 540 Megabases and a contig N50 of nearly 14 Mb. Both haplotypes are highly syntenic to each other and to the Malus domestica 'Honeycrisp' apple genome. Nearly 45,000 genes were annotated in each haplotype, over 90% of which have direct RNA-seq expression evidence. We detect signatures of the known whole-genome duplication shared between apple and pear, and we estimate 57% of d'Anjou genes are retained in duplicate derived from this event. This genome highlights the value of generating phased diploid assemblies for recovering the full allelic complement in highly heterozygous crop species.

A haplotype resolved chromosome-scale assembly of North American wild apple Malus fusca and comparative genomics of the fire blight Mfu10 locus

The Pacific crabapple (Malus fusca) is a wild relative of the commercial apple (Malus × domestica). With a range extending from Alaska to Northern California, M. fusca is extremely hardy and disease resistant. The species represents an untapped genetic resource for the development of new apple cultivars with enhanced stress resistance. However, gene discovery and utilization of M. fusca have been hampered by the lack of genomic resources. Here, we present a high‐quality, haplotype‐resolved, chromosome‐scale genome assembly and annotation for M. fusca. The genome was assembled using high‐fidelity long‐reads and scaffolded using genetic maps and high‐throughput chromatin conformation capture sequencing, resulting in one of the most contiguous apple genomes to date. We annotated the genome using public transcriptomic data from the same species taken from diverse plant structures and developmental stages. Using this assembly, we explored haplotypic structural variation within the genome of M. fusca, identifying thousands of large variants. We further showed high sequence co‐linearity with other domesticated and wild Malus species. Finally, we resolve a known quantitative trait locus associated with resistance to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora). Insights gained from the assembly of a reference‐quality genome of this hardy wild apple relative will be invaluable as a tool to facilitate DNA‐informed introgression breeding.

Linnemannia elongata (Mortierellaceae) stimulates Arabidopsis thaliana aerial growth and responses to auxin, ethylene, and reactive oxygen species

Harnessing the plant microbiome has the potential to improve agricultural yields and protect plants against pathogens and/or abiotic stresses, while also relieving economic and environmental costs of crop production. While previous studies have gained valuable insights into the underlying genetics facilitating plant-fungal interactions, these have largely been skewed towards certain fungal clades (e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi). Several different phyla of fungi have been shown to positively impact plant growth rates, including Mortierellaceae fungi. However, the extent of the plant growth promotion (PGP) phenotype(s), their underlying mechanism(s), and the impact of bacterial endosymbionts on fungal-plant interactions remain poorly understood for Mortierellaceae. In this study, we focused on the symbiosis between soil fungus Linnemannia elongata (Mortierellaceae) and Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae), as both organisms have high-quality reference genomes and transcriptomes available, and their lifestyles and growth requirements are conducive to research conditions. Further, L. elongata can host bacterial endosymbionts related to Mollicutes and Burkholderia. The role of these endobacteria on facilitating fungal-plant associations, including potentially further promoting plant growth, remains completely unexplored. We measured Arabidopsis aerial growth at early and late life stages, seed production, and used mRNA sequencing to characterize differentially expressed plant genes in response to fungal inoculation with and without bacterial endosymbionts. We found that L. elongata improved aerial plant growth, seed mass and altered the plant transcriptome, including the upregulation of genes involved in plant hormones and “response to oxidative stress”, “defense response to bacterium”, and “defense response to fungus”. Furthermore, the expression of genes in certain phytohormone biosynthetic pathways were found to be modified in plants treated with L. elongata. Notably, the presence of Mollicutes- or Burkholderia-related endosymbionts in Linnemannia did not impact the expression of genes in Arabidopsis or overall growth rates. Together, these results indicate that beneficial plant growth promotion and seed mass impacts of L. elongata on Arabidopsis are likely driven by plant hormone and defense transcription responses after plant-fungal contact, and that plant phenotypic and transcriptional responses are independent of whether the fungal symbiont is colonized by Mollicutes or Burkholderia-related endohyphal bacteria.

A chromosome-scale assembly of the bilberry genome identifies a complex locus controlling berry anthocyanin composition

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) belongs to the Vaccinium genus, which includes blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) and cranberry (V. macrocarpon). Unlike its cultivated relatives, bilberry remains largely undomesticated, with berry harvesting almost entirely from the wild. As such, it represents an ideal target for genomic analysis, providing comparisons with the domesticated Vaccinium species. Bilberry is prized for its taste and health properties and has provided essential nutrition for Northern European indigenous populations. It contains high concentrations of phytonutrients, with perhaps the most important being the purple colored anthocyanins, found in both skin and flesh. Here, we present the first bilberry genome assembly, comprising 12 pseudochromosomes assembled using Oxford Nanopore (ONT) and Hi-C Technologies. The pseudochromosomes represent 96.6% complete BUSCO genes with an assessed LAI score of 16.3, showing a high conservation of synteny against the blueberry genome. Kmer analysis showed an unusual third peak, indicating the sequenced samples may have been from two individuals. The alternate alleles were purged so that the final assembly represents only one haplotype. A total of 36,404 genes were annotated after nearly 48% of the assembly was masked to remove repeats. To illustrate the genome quality, we describe the complex MYBA locus, and identify the key regulating MYB genes that determine anthocyanin production. The new bilberry genome builds on the genomic resources and knowledge of Vaccinium species, to help understand the genetics underpinning some of the quality attributes that breeding programs aspire to improve. The high conservation of synteny between bilberry and blueberry genomes means that comparative genome mapping can be applied to transfer knowledge about marker-trait association between these two species, as the loci involved in key characters are orthologous.