Sequencing of resistance genes in rice using RenSeq technology

The aim of this project was to evaluate the genetic diversity of resistance genes in rice. We are interested in polymorphisms, copy number variation, gene family expansion and reduction as well as in the number of resistance genes with domain fusions. We used a mix of both PacBio and Illumina sequencing to be able to (1) assemble the NLRome of several rice cultivars including the reference Nipponbare and (2) increase confidence in the identified variation. In addition, we are interested in putative discrepancies in the genetic variation within cultivars grown worldwide on one side and those cultivated in the Yanyuang terraces in China where increased resistance to diseases (including rice blast) has been observed. We hypothesize that genetic variation is higher in the latter cultivars, especially between the indica cultivars grown in China.