Sandra Schmoeckel - The genome of Chenopodium quinoa provides insights into saponin biosynthesis

  • Datum: 31.01.2017
  • Uhrzeit: 11:00 - 12:30
  • Vortragende(r): Sandra Schmoeckel
  • KAUST, King Abdullah University, Saudi Arabia
  • Ort: Box
  • Raum: 0.12
  • Gastgeber: Salma Balazadeh
Chenopodium quinoa (quinoa) is a highly nutritious grain crop with high abiotic stress tolerance that has been identified as an important crop to improve world food security; unfortunately, few resources are available to facilitate its genetic improvement. Here we report the assembly of a high-quality, chromosome-scale reference genome sequence for quinoa, which was produced using single-molecule real-time sequencing in combination with optical, chromosome contact, and genetic maps. We also report reduced-coverage genome sequences for 22 other accessions of the allotetraploid goosefoot complex and two diploids from among quinoa’s ancestral gene pools. The genome sequence facilitated the identification of the transcription factor likely to control the production of anti-nutritional triterpenoid saponins found in quinoa seeds, including a mutation that appears to cause alternative splicing and the inclusion of a premature stop codon, thereby inactivating the protein and leading to the absence of saponins in sweet quinoa accessions. These genomic resources are an important first step towards the genetic improvement of quinoa to help increase global food security in the face of climate change and a growing world population.
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