Aegilops ovata organellar-enriched DNA sequencing, assembly, and comparative genomics

Proper interactions between the nucleus and cytoplasmic organelles (mitochondria and plastids) are essential to eukaryotic cellular function. To improve our understanding of the role of organellar genomes and nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions in plant development and stress response, our first aim is to survey organellar genome diversity in wheat and across the broader Triticum-Aegilops complex. This will be followed by work to assess genome dynamics across developmental stages as well as during abiotic and biotic stress response. The results of this work will be important for improving crop traits. To accomplish our goals, it was critical to first establish improved methods for the isolation, sequencing, and assembly of organellar genomes from limited starting material without whole genome amplification. As a proof of concept, we optimized our methods using the Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring, for which there is previous sequencing data available. The mitochondria and chloroplast genomes have large repeats (upto 10kb and 20kb in length, respectively). Previous studies have performed whole genome amplification and have manually stitched contigs to force a single master circle configuration of the organellar genomes, which may or may not reflect the true native state of the wheat organellar genomes. To resolve the long repeats and perform de novo assemblies without whole genome amplification and manual stitching of contigs, we utilized low input PacBio 20kb library preparations to generate long sequencing reads. In total, we sequenced 20 organellar-enriched samples with PacBio, including 13 diverse wild species, T. durum, T. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring, and three wheat alloplasmic lines. In addition we generated Illumina short-read sequences for many additional cultivars, wild species, and alloplasmic lines. This project includes data for one of these samples (Aegilops ovata). Raw sequencing reads are deposited here. Assemblies and annotations will be included once available.

细胞核与细胞质细胞器（线粒体和质体）的正常互作，是真核细胞行使正常功能的必要基础。为深化对植物发育与胁迫响应过程中细胞器基因组及核质互作调控机制的认知，本研究的首要目标是调查小麦及更广范围的小麦-山羊草复合群（Triticum-Aegilops complex）内的细胞器基因组多样性。后续将开展相关研究，评估不同发育阶段以及非生物、生物胁迫响应过程中的基因组动态变化特征。本研究成果将对作物性状改良具有重要指导意义。为达成上述研究目标，首先需建立优化的实验方法，实现从有限起始材料中分离、测序并组装细胞器基因组，且无需开展全基因组扩增。作为概念验证，我们以已有公开测序数据的普通小麦（Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring）为材料，优化了上述实验方法。线粒体与叶绿体基因组均携带大型重复序列，长度分别可达10kb与20kb。既往研究曾通过全基因组扩增，并手动拼接重叠群（contig），强行构建细胞器基因组的单一主环构型，而该构型未必能反映小麦细胞器基因组真实的天然状态。为解析长重复序列并在无需全基因组扩增与手动拼接重叠群的情况下完成从头组装，我们采用低起始量PacBio 20kb文库制备策略，以生成长读长测序数据。总计我们利用PacBio测序了20份细胞器富集样本，涵盖13份不同的野生近缘种、硬粒小麦（Triticum durum）、普通小麦中国春，以及3份小麦异质系（alloplasmic lines）。此外，我们还为大量额外的栽培品种、野生近缘种及异质系生成了Illumina短读长测序数据。本项目包含其中一份样本——卵穗山羊草（Aegilops ovata）——的相关数据。原始测序数据已存档于此。组装结果与注释信息将在可用时对外公开。