Abstract Detail

Comparative Genomics/Transcriptomics

Reatini, Bryan [1], Cang, Alice [2], Jiang, Qiuyu [3], Dlugosch, Katrina [4].

Chromosome-scale reference genome and RAD based genetic map of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) reveal putative structural variation and QTLs associated with invader traits.

Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis, Asteraceae / Compositae) is a noxious weed of rangelands and grasslands in the western United States, and rapid genetic changes have been associated with its success. Many invasive plants have major agricultural and ecological costs, but genomic resources in these non-model systems are typically limited. Here, we present a chromosome-scale reference genome, gene annotation, and RAD-based genetic map for yellow starthistle, and we leverage these new genomic resources to identify 13 quantitative trait loci associated with increased plant size in the invasions. We identify candidate genes within these QTL peaks and discover two putative inversion QTL associated with increased plant size. These resources provide a critical step towards identifying the genetic basis of invasion traits for one of the most problematic agricultural pests in the western United States.

1 - The University of Arizona, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 60 West Stone Loop, Tucson, AZ, 85704, USA
2 - 4310 Hastings Street, 406, Burnaby, BC, V5C 2J9, Canada
3 - University of Arizona, 1041 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721
4 - University Of Arizona, ECOL AND EVOL BIOLOGY, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States

Keywords:
Yellow starthistle
genome assembly
genetic map
QTL mapping.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: CGT4007
Abstract ID:760
Candidate for Awards:None