Draft genomes of two outcrossing wild rice, Oryza rufipogon and O. longistaminata, reveal genomic features associated with mating-system evolution.

Abstract

Oryza rufipogon and O. longistaminata are important wild relatives of cultivated rice, harboring a promising source of novel genes for rice breeding programs. Here, we present de novo assembled draft genomes and annotation of O. rufipogon and O. longistaminata. Our analysis reveals a considerable number of lineage‐specific gene families associated with the self‐incompatibility (SI) and formation of reproductive separation. We show how lineage‐specific expansion or contraction of gene families with functional enrichment of the recognition of pollen, thus enlightening their reproductive diversification. We documented a large number of lineage‐specific gene families enriched in salt stress, antifungal response, and disease resistance. Our comparative analysis further shows a genome‐wide expansion of genes encoding NBS‐LRR proteins in these two outcrossing wild species in contrast to six other selfing rice species. Conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs) in the two wild rice genomes rapidly evolve relative to selfing rice species, resulting in the reduction of genomic variation owing to shifts of mating systems. We find that numerous genes related to these rapidly evolving CNSs are enriched in reproductive structure development, flower development, and postembryonic development, which may associate with SI in O. rufipogon and O. longistaminata.