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Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Potential New Targets for Improving Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization in Sorghum bicolor

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Massel, K., Campbell, B., Mace, E., Tai, S., Tao, Y., Worland, B., Jordan, D., Botella, J. and Godwin, I. (2016) Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Potential New Targets for Improving Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization in Sorghum bicolor. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7 (1544). ISSN 1664-462X

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Article Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01544

Publisher URL: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2016.01544

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are a major agricultural input where more than 100 million tons are supplied annually. Cereals are particularly inefficient at soil N uptake, where the unrecovered nitrogen causes serious environmental damage. Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) is an important cereal crop, particularly in resource-poor semi-arid regions, and is known to have a high NUE in comparison to other major cereals under limited N conditions. This study provides the first assessment of genetic diversity and signatures of selection across 230 fully sequenced genes putatively involved in the uptake and mobilization of N from a diverse panel of sorghum lines. This comprehensive analysis reveals an overall reduction in diversity as a result of domestication and a total of 128 genes displaying signatures of purifying selection, thereby revealing possible gene targets to improve NUE in sorghum and cereals alike. A number of key genes appear to have been involved in selective sweeps, reducing their sequence diversity. The ammonium transporter (AMT) genes generally had low allelic diversity, whereas a substantial number of nitrate/peptide transporter 1 (NRT1/PTR) genes had higher nucleotide diversity in domesticated germplasm. Interestingly, members of the distinct race Guinea margaritiferum contained a number of unique alleles, and along with the wild sorghum species, represent a rich resource of new variation for plant improvement of NUE in sorghum.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Crop and Food Science
Keywords:Nitrogen uptake and mobilization,Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE),Sorghum (sorghum bicolor),Domestication,selection
Subjects:Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Soils. Soil science
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Fertilisers
Plant culture > Field crops > Sorghum
Live Archive:19 Jan 2017 01:53
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:44

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