Domesticating : Chromosome-Level genome assembly reveals as a candidate gene decreasing hard-seededness.

To increase food production under the challenges presented by global climate change, the concept of domestication-utilizing stress-tolerant wild species as new crops-has recently gained considerable attention. We had previously identified mutants with desired domestication traits in a mutagenized population of the legume Kuntze (minni payaru) as a pilot for domestication. Given that there are multiple stress-tolerant wild legume species, it is important to establish efficient domestication processes using reverse genetics and identify the genes responsible for domestication traits. In this study, we identified as the candidate gene responsible for decreased hard-seededness, using a mutant that takes up water from the lens groove. Scanning electron microscopy and computed tomography revealed that the mutant has lesser honeycomb-like wax sealing the lens groove than the wild-type, and takes up water from the lens groove. We also identified the pleiotropic effects of the mutant: accelerating leaf senescence, increasing seed size, and decreasing numbers of seeds per pod. While doing so, we produced a whole-genome assembly of 441 Mbp in 11 chromosomes and 30,963 annotated protein-coding sequences. This study highlights the importance of wild legumes, especially those of the genus with pre-existing tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, for global food security during climate change.