一个是最重要的粮食作物；

一个是集粮食、饲料和啤酒原料于一身的谷类作物；

而它们的共同点是都是基因组庞大的禾本科作物。

如今，它们的基因组也公布于世，为作物遗传和育种研究者带来新的资源和工具。

2012年11月29日NATURE当期2篇文章以ARTICLE的形式报道了大小麦基组测序结果。其中，来自英国利物浦大学和加州大学戴维斯分校等研究者报道了小麦的全基因组测序结果。小麦的基因组非常复杂和庞大，拥有17G碱基对，包含约9.6万个基因，是水稻基因组的43倍，成为禾本科作物中最重要粮食作物基因组测序的里程碑。

小麦基因组测序（17 Gb）：

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v491/n7426/full/nature11650.html

Analysis of the bread wheat genome using whole-genome shotgun sequencing

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a globally important crop, accounting for 20 per cent of the calories consumed by humans. Major efforts are underway worldwide to increase wheat production by extending genetic diversity and analysing key traits, and genomic resources can accelerate progress. But so far the very large size and polyploid complexity of the bread wheat genome have been substantial barriers to genome analysis. Here we report the sequencing of its large, 17-gigabase-pair, hexaploid genome using 454 pyrosequencing, and comparison of this with the sequences of diploid ancestral and progenitor genomes. We identified between 94,000 and 96,000 genes, and assigned two-thirds to the three component genomes (A, B and D) of hexaploid wheat. High-resolution synteny maps identified many small disruptions to conserved gene order. We show that the hexaploid genome is highly dynamic, with significant loss of gene family members on polyploidization and domestication, and an abundance of gene fragments. Several classes of genes involved in energy harvesting, metabolism and growth are among expanded gene families that could be associated with crop productivity. Our analyses, coupled with the identification of extensive genetic variation, provide a resource for accelerating gene discovery and improving this major crop.

同时，德国莱布尼茨植物遗传学与农作物研究所Nils Stein教授领衔的一个国际大麦测序联盟公布了大麦基因组测序结果。大麦的基因组也非常庞大，拥有5.1G碱基对，是水稻基因组的13倍。大麦基因组测序的完成，将为大麦遗传育种研究和啤酒工业带来新的动力。

大麦基因组测序(5.1Gb)：

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v491/n7426/full/nature11543.html

A physical, genetic and functional sequence assembly of the barley genome
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is among the world’s earliest domesticated and most important crop plants. It is diploid with a large haploid genome of 5.1 gigabases (Gb). Here we present an integrated and ordered physical, genetic and functional sequence resource that describes the barley gene-space in a structured whole-genome context. We developed a physical map of 4.98Gb, with more than 3.90Gb anchored to a high-resolution genetic map. Projecting a deep whole-genome shotgun assembly, complementary DNA and deep RNA sequence data onto this framework supports 79,379 transcript clusters, including 26,159 ‘high-confidence’ genes with homology support from other plant genomes. Abundant alternative splicing, premature termination codons and novel transcriptionally active regions suggest that post-transcriptional processing forms an important regulatory layer. Survey sequences from diverse accessions reveal a landscape of extensive single-nucleotide variation. Our data provide a platform for both genome-assisted research and enabling contemporary crop improvement.