Abstract
Halophytes are plants that can naturally tolerate high concentrations of salt in the soil, and their tolerance to salt stress may occur through various evolutionary and molecular mechanisms. Eutrema salsugineum is a halophytic species in the Brassicaceae that can naturally tolerate multiple types of abiotic stresses that typically limit crop productivity, including extreme salinity and cold. It has been widely used as a laboratorial model for stress biology research in plants. Here, we present the reference genome sequence (241 Mb) of E. salsugineum at 8× coverage sequenced using the traditional Sanger sequencing-based approach with comparison to its close relative Arabidopsis thaliana. The E. salsugineum genome contains 26,531 protein-coding genes and 51.4% of its genome is composed of repetitive sequences that mostly reside in pericentromeric regions. Comparative analyses of the genome structures, protein-coding genes, microRNAs, stress-related pathways, and estimated translation efficiency of proteins between E. salsugineum and A. thaliana suggest that halophyte adaptation to environmental stresses may occur via a global network adjustment of multiple regulatory mechanisms. The E. salsugineum genome provides a resource to identify naturally occurring genetic alterations contributing to the adaptation of halophytic plants to salinity and that might be bioengineered in related crop species.
Highlights
One of the most urgent challenges is increasing agricultural productivity to feed the world’s growing population (Godfray et al, 2010)
SALSUGINEUM IN THE BRASSICACEAE To infer the phylogenetic relationship of E. salsugineum with three other published genomes from the Brassicaceae, including A. thaliana, A. lyrata, and Schrenkiella parvula, we constructed a phylogenetic tree of 119 species in the family from chloroplastid and nuclear (PHYA) markers that have been previously used to provide resolution in the group (Beilstein et al, 2008)
Our analyses indicate that E. salsugineum and S. parvula diverged from each other ∼38.4 million years ago (MYA), and that both genomes shared a common ancestor with A. thaliana and A. lyrata ∼43.2 MYA (Figure 1)
Summary
One of the most urgent challenges is increasing agricultural productivity to feed the world’s growing population (Godfray et al, 2010). To meet the rising demand for plant-based agricultural commodities, enhanced productivity on land currently in cultivation and expansion into marginal land for agricultural use will be required (Godfray et al, 2010). A major problem facing agriculture is increased salinity in the soil solution. Salinization affects land that receives little rain and is a growing problem for irrigation agriculture because long-term irrigation leads to the accumulation of salt, resulting in plant salt stress (Khan, 1982). Practical solutions for sustainable agricultural outcomes require a multifaceted approach that includes the identification of genetic determinants underlying adaptation to salinity in naturally salttolerant species (halophytes), and the application of this knowledge to enhance salt tolerance in agriculturally and economically important plants
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