Agronomy and Horticulture Department

 

ORCID IDs

0000-0001-6805-3545

0000-0002-9606-2497

0000-0001-9169-5204

0000-0002-0703-3732

0000-0001-6739-5527

0000-0002-1541-3890

Date of this Version

2019

Citation

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | (2019) 10:436

Comments

© The Author(s) 2019

Open access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-08409-5

Abstract

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is the most water-efficient cereal and one of the earliest domesticated plants. Here we report its high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assembly using a combination of short-read sequencing, single-molecule real-time sequencing, Hi-C, and a high-density genetic map. Phylogenetic analyses reveal two sets of homologous chromosomes that may have merged ~5.6 million years ago, both of which exhibit strong synteny with other grass species. Broomcorn millet contains 55,930 proteincoding genes and 339 microRNA genes. We find Paniceae-specific expansion in several subfamilies of the BTB (broad complex/tramtrack/bric-a-brac) subunit of ubiquitin E3 ligases, suggesting enhanced regulation of protein dynamics may have contributed to the evolution of broomcorn millet. In addition, we identify the coexistence of all three C4 subtypes of carbon fixation candidate genes. The genome sequence is a valuable resource for breeders and will provide the foundation for studying the exceptional stress tolerance as well as C4 biology.

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