AUTHOR=Adhikari Laxman , Raupp John , Wu Shuangye , Koo Dal-Hoe , Friebe Bernd , Poland Jesse 

TITLE=Genomic characterization and gene bank curation of Aegilops: the wild relatives of wheat

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1268370

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2023.1268370

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Genetic diversity found in crop wild relatives is critical to preserve and utilize for crop improvement to achieve sustainable food production amid climate change and increased demand. We genetically characterized a large collection of 1,041 <italic>Aegilops</italic> accessions distributed among 23 different species using more than 45K single nucleotide polymorphisms identified by genotyping-by-sequencing. The Wheat Genetics Resource Center (WGRC) <italic>Aegilops</italic> germplasm collection was curated through the identification of misclassified and redundant accessions. There were 49 misclassified and 28 sets of redundant accessions within the four diploid species. The curated germplasm sets now have improved utility for genetic studies and wheat improvement. We constructed a phylogenetic tree and principal component analysis cluster for all <italic>Aegilops</italic> species together, giving one of the most comprehensive views of <italic>Aegilops</italic>. The <italic>Sitopsis</italic> section and the U genome <italic>Aegilops</italic> clade were further scrutinized with in-depth population analysis. The genetic relatedness among the pair of <italic>Aegilops</italic> species provided strong evidence for the species evolution, speciation, and diversification. We inferred genome symbols for two species <italic>Ae</italic>. <italic>neglecta</italic> and <italic>Ae</italic>. <italic>columnaris</italic> based on the sequence read mapping and the presence of segregating loci on the pertinent genomes as well as genetic clustering. The high genetic diversity observed among <italic>Aegilops</italic> species indicated that the genus could play an even greater role in providing the critical need for untapped genetic diversity for future wheat breeding and improvement. To fully characterize these <italic>Aegilops</italic> species, there is an urgent need to generate reference assemblies for these wild wheats, especially for the polyploid <italic>Aegilops</italic>.</p>