In-depth exploration of the genomic diversity in tea varieties based on a newly constructed pangenome of Camellia sinensis.

Tea, one of the most widely consumed beverages globally, exhibits remarkable genomic diversity in its underlying flavour and health-related compounds. In this study, we present the construction and analysis of a tea pangenome comprising a total of 11 genomes, with a focus on three newly sequenced genomes comprising the purple-leaved assamica cultivar "Zijuan", the temperature-sensitive sinensis cultivar "Anjibaicha" and the wild accession "L618" whose assemblies exhibited excellent quality scores as they profited from latest sequencing technologies. Our analysis incorporates a detailed investigation of transposon complement across the tea pangenome, revealing shared patterns of transposon distribution among the studied genomes and improved transposon resolution with long read technologies, as shown by long terminal repeat (LTR) Assembly Index analysis.

DivBrowse-interactive visualization and exploratory data analysis of variant call matrices.

Background: The sequencing of whole genomes is becoming increasingly affordable. In this context, large-scale sequencing projects are generating ever larger datasets of species-specific genomic diversity. As a consequence, more and more genomic data need to be made easily accessible and analyzable to the scientific community.

Isolation of Cells from Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4 Tumors for Infection with Zika Virus prME and ME Pseudotyped HIV-1.

This study aimed to isolate cells from grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme tumors for infection experiments with Zika virus (ZIKV) prME or ME enveloped HIV-1 pseudotypes. The cells obtained from tumor tissue were successfully cultured in human cerebrospinal fluid (hCSF) or a mixture of hCSF/DMEM in cell culture flasks with polar and hydrophilic surfaces. The isolated tumor cells as well as the U87, U138, and U343 cells tested positive for ZIKV receptors Axl and Integrin αvβ5.

Insights into breeding history, hotspot regions of selection, and untapped allelic diversity for bread wheat breeding.

Breeding has increasingly altered the genetics of crop plants since the domestication of their wild progenitors. It is postulated that the genetic diversity of elite wheat breeding pools is too narrow to cope with future challenges. In contrast, plant genetic resources (PGRs) of wheat stored in genebanks are valuable sources of unexploited genetic diversity.

Recommendations for the formatting of Variant Call Format (VCF) files to make plant genotyping data FAIR.

In this opinion article, we discuss the formatting of files from (plant) genotyping studies, in particular the formatting of metadata in Variant Call Format (VCF) files. The flexibility of the VCF format specification facilitates its use as a generic interchange format across domains but can lead to inconsistency between files in the presentation of metadata. To enable fully autonomous machine actionable data flow, generic elements need to be further specified.

Unlocking big data doubled the accuracy in predicting the grain yield in hybrid wheat.

The potential of big data to support businesses has been demonstrated in financial services, manufacturing, and telecommunications. Here, we report on efforts to enter a new data era in plant breeding by collecting genomic and phenotypic information from 12,858 wheat genotypes representing 6575 single-cross hybrids and 6283 inbred lines that were evaluated in six experimental series for yield in field trials encompassing ~125,000 plots. Integrating data resulted in twofold higher prediction ability compared with cases in which hybrid performance was predicted across individual experimental series.

Implementing FAIR data management within the German Network for Bioinformatics Infrastructure (de.NBI) exemplified by selected use cases.

This article describes some use case studies and self-assessments of FAIR status of de.NBI services to illustrate the challenges and requirements for the definition of the needs of adhering to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) data principles in a large distributed bioinformatics infrastructure. We address the challenge of heterogeneity of wet lab technologies, data, metadata, software, computational workflows and the levels of implementation and monitoring of FAIR principles within the different bioinformatics sub-disciplines joint in de.

Identification of rye B chromosome-associated peptides by mass spectrometry.

B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary dispensable components of the standard genome (A chromosomes, As) that have been found in many eukaryotes. So far, it is unkown whether the B-derived transcripts translate to proteins or if the host proteome is changed due to the presence of Bs. Comparative mass spectrometry was performed using the protein samples isolated from shoots of rye plants with and without Bs.

Comparison Between Core Set Selection Methods Using Different Illumina Marker Platforms: A Case Study of Assessment of Diversity in Wheat.

Collections of plant genetic resources stored in genebanks are an important source of genetic diversity for improvement in plant breeding programs and for conservation of natural variation. The establishment of reduced representative collections from a large set of genotypes is a valuable tool that provides cost-effective access to the diversity present in the whole set. Software like Core Hunter 3 is available to generate high quality core sets.

BRIDGE - A Visual Analytics Web Tool for Barley Genebank Genomics.

Genebanks harbor a large treasure trove of untapped plant genetic diversity. A growing world population and a changing climate require an increase in the production and development of stress resistant plant cultivars while decreasing the acreage. These requirements for improved plant cultivars can be supported by the broader exploitation of plant genetic resources (PGR) as inputs for genomics-assisted breeding.

Negative dominance and dominance-by-dominance epistatic effects reduce grain-yield heterosis in wide crosses in wheat.

The genetics underlying heterosis, the difference in performance of crosses compared with midparents, is hypothesized to vary with relatedness between parents. We established a unique germplasm comprising three hybrid wheat sets differing in the degree of divergence between parents and devised a genetic distance measure giving weight to heterotic loci. Heterosis increased steadily with heterotic genetic distance for all 1903 hybrids.

Suitability of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Arrays Versus Genotyping-By-Sequencing for Genebank Genomics in Wheat.

Genebank genomics promises to unlock valuable diversity for plant breeding but first, one key question is which marker system is most suitable to fingerprint entire genebank collections. Using wheat as model species, we tested for the presence of an ascertainment bias and investigated its impact on estimates of genetic diversity and prediction ability obtained using three marker platforms: simple sequence repeat (SSR), genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), and array-based SNP markers. We used a panel of 378 winter wheat genotypes including 190 elite lines and 188 plant genetic resources (PGR), which were phenotyped in multi-environmental trials for grain yield and plant height.

Kmasker plants - a tool for assessing complex sequence space in plant species.

Many plant genomes display high levels of repetitive sequences. The assembly of these complex genomes using short high-throughput sequence reads is still a challenging task. Underestimation or disregard of repeat complexity in these datasets can easily misguide downstream analysis.

Exome association analysis sheds light onto leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) resistance genes currently used in wheat breeding (Triticum aestivum L.).

Resistance breeding is crucial for a sustainable control of leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) while directly targeting functional variants is the Holy Grail for efficient marker-assisted selection and map-based cloning. We assessed the limits and prospects of exome association analysis for severity of leaf rust in a large hybrid wheat population of 1574 single-crosses plus their 133 parents.

Detecting Large Chromosomal Modifications Using Short Read Data From Genotyping-by-Sequencing.

Markers linked to agronomic traits are of the prerequisite for molecular breeding. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data enables to detect small polymorphisms including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and short insertions or deletions (InDels) that can be used, for instance, for marker-assisted selection, population genetics, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Here, we aim at detecting large chromosomal modifications in barley and wheat based on GBS data.

Leaf Variegation and Impaired Chloroplast Development Caused by a Truncated CCT Domain Gene in Barley.

Chloroplasts fuel plant development and growth by converting solar energy into chemical energy. They mature from proplastids through the concerted action of genes in both the organellar and the nuclear genome. Defects in such genes impair chloroplast development and may lead to pigment-deficient seedlings or seedlings with variegated leaves.

Mutations in the gene of the Gα subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein are the cause for the semi-dwarf phenotype in barley and applicable for practical breeding.

Background: Short-culm mutants have been widely used in breeding programs to increase lodging resistance. In barley ( L.), several hundreds of short-culm mutants have been isolated over the years.

Correlating the Genetic and Physical Map of Barley Chromosome 3H Revealed Limitations of the FISH-Based Mapping of Nearby Single-Copy Probes Caused by the Dynamic Structure of Metaphase Chromosomes.

Genetic maps are based on the recombination frequency of molecular markers which often show different positions in comparison to the corresponding physical maps. To decipher the position and order of DNA sequences genetically mapped to terminal and interstitial regions of barley (Hordeum vulgare) chromosome 3H, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on mitotic metaphase chromosomes was performed with 16 genomic single-copy probes derived from fingerprinted BAC contigs. Long genetic distances at subterminal regions translated into short physical distances, confirming that recombination events occur more often at distal regions of chromosome 3H.

Construction of a map-based reference genome sequence for barley, Hordeum vulgare L.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a cereal grass mainly used as animal fodder and raw material for the malting industry. The map-based reference genome sequence of barley cv.

A chromosome conformation capture ordered sequence of the barley genome.

Cereal grasses of the Triticeae tribe have been the major food source in temperate regions since the dawn of agriculture. Their large genomes are characterized by a high content of repetitive elements and large pericentromeric regions that are virtually devoid of meiotic recombination. Here we present a high-quality reference genome assembly for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.

MISA-web: a web server for microsatellite prediction.

Motivation: Microsatellites are a widely-used marker system in plant genetics and forensics. The development of reliable microsatellite markers from resequencing data is challenging.

Results: We extended MISA, a computational tool assisting the development of microsatellite markers, and reimplemented it as a web-based application.

transPLANT Resources for Triticeae Genomic Data.

The genome sequences of many important Triticeae species, including bread wheat ( L.) and barley ( L.), remained uncharacterized for a long time because their high repeat content, large sizes, and polyploidy.

A Homolog of Blade-On-Petiole 1 and 2 (BOP1/2) Controls Internode Length and Homeotic Changes of the Barley Inflorescence.

Inflorescence architecture in small-grain cereals has a direct effect on yield and is an important selection target in breeding for yield improvement. We analyzed the recessive mutation laxatum-a (lax-a) in barley (Hordeum vulgare), which causes pleiotropic changes in spike development, resulting in (1) extended rachis internodes conferring a more relaxed inflorescence, (2) broadened base of the lemma awns, (3) thinner grains that are largely exposed due to reduced marginal growth of the palea and lemma, and (4) and homeotic conversion of lodicules into two stamenoid structures. Map-based cloning enforced by mapping-by-sequencing of the mutant lax-a locus enabled the identification of a homolog of BLADE-ON-PETIOLE1 (BOP1) and BOP2 as the causal gene.

The INDETERMINATE DOMAIN Protein BROAD LEAF1 Limits Barley Leaf Width by Restricting Lateral Proliferation.

Variation in the size, shape, and positioning of leaves as the major photosynthetic organs strongly impacts crop yield, and optimizing these aspects is a central aim of cereal breeding [1, 2]. Leaf growth in grasses is driven by cell proliferation and cell expansion in a basal growth zone [3]. Although several factors influencing final leaf size and shape have been identified from rice and maize [4-14], what limits grass leaf growth in the longitudinal or transverse directions during leaf development remains poorly understood.