Medicago truncatula strain:A17 Genome sequencing and assembly

A consortium of labs in US (University of Minnesota, University of Oklahoma, UC-Davis, and TIGR) and Europe (INRA-Toulouse with Genoscope, Waginingen University, and the John Innes Center with the Sanger Institute) are involved in an NSF and EU funded project to fully sequence the gene-space of M. truncatula. Its genome is organized into gene-rich euchromatin and repeat-rich pericentromeric heterochromatin. A BAC-by-BAC strategy has been employed to sequence the genome. Oklahoma University is sequencing chromosomes 1, 4, 6, and 8 (initial sequencing funded by Noble Foundation). JCVI is sequencing chromosomes 2, and 7. JIC/Sanger is sequencing chromosome 3. INRA/Genoscope is sequencing chromosome 5. International Medicago Genome Annotation Group (IMGAG) was established in 2004. Current members are from JCVI/TIGR, INRA-CNRS, MIPS, University of Minnesota, Ghent University, University of Oklahoma, and NCGR. The goal is to coordinate the generation of genome annotation for the model legume Medicago truncatula under the supervision of the sequencing project Steering Committee. Building on standards and processing protocols from the Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, and other genome projects, a set of standards for gene identification, gene naming, data format, data processing and data exchange have been developed.