The genome sequence of allopolyploid Brassica juncea and analysis of differential homoeolog gene expression influencing selection
- Journal:
- Nature Genetics
- Published:
- DOI:
- 10.1038/ng.3657
- Affiliations:
- 11
- Authors:
- 21
Research Highlight
Genes reveal the history of mustard greens
© Ryoji Yoshimoto/Aflo/Getty
The recently mapped genome sequence of the vegetable crop Brassica juncea — better known as Chinese mustard — will enable the engineering of the staple to produce larger yields of hardier, more nutritious, and disease resistant plants.
A China-led team, including researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), decoded the genetic map of Chinese mustard, which arose through natural hybridization between Chinese cabbage and black mustard, two other members of the Brassica genus. As they report in Nature Genetics, analyses of the sequence from the plant’s 36 chromosomes revealed that corresponding genes from the Chinese mustard’s two ancestral lineages evolved and diversified to produce the assorted varieties in use today for vegetable and oilseed production.
The sequence is publicly available on the Brassica Database website maintained by CAAS.
References
- Nature Genetics 48, 1225–1232 (2016). doi: 10.1038/ng.3657