The Pharus latifolius Genome Bridges the Gap of Early Grass Evolution

第一作者：Peng-Fei Ma

第一单位：中科院昆明植物研究所

通讯作者：De-Zhu Li

 Abstract 

背景回顾：The grass family (Poaceae) includes all commercial cereal crops and is a major contributor to biomass in various terrestrial ecosystems.

提出问题：The ancestry of all grass genomes includes a shared whole-genome duplication (WGD), named rho (ρ) WGD, but the evolutionary significance of ρ-WGD remains elusive.

主要研究：We sequenced the genome of Pharus latifolius, a grass species (producing a true spikelet) in the subfamily Pharoideae, a sister lineage to the core Poaceae including the PACMAD and BOP clades.

结果1-基因组演化：Our results indicate that the P. latifolius genome has evolved slowly relative to cereal grass genomes, as reflected by moderate rates of molecular evolution, limited chromosome rearrangements and a low rate of gene loss for duplicated genes.

结果2-ρ-WGD时间与后续支系分化：We show that the ρ-WGD event occurred ～98.2 million years ago (Ma) in a common ancestor of the Pharoideae and the PACMAD and BOP grasses. This was followed by contrasting patterns of diploidization in the Pharus and core Poaceae lineages.

结果3-ρ-WGD作用：The presence of two FRIZZY PANICLE (FZP)-like genes in P. latifolius, and duplicated MADS-box genes, support the hypothesis that the ρ-WGD may have played a role in the origin and functional diversification of the spikelet, an adaptation in grasses related directly to cereal yields.

结论：The P. latifolius genome sheds light on the origin and early evolution of grasses underpinning the biology and breeding of cereals.

 通讯作者 

**李德铢**

doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab015

Journal: Plant Cell

Published date: Jan 25, 2021