An international team has produced the most comprehensive genome map of wheat.

 

一个国际研究小组公布了最全面的小麦基因组。

 

The study published on Thursday in the journal Science presented the reference genome of the bread wheat variety "Chinese Spring," including its 21 chromosomes¹, precise locations of 107,891 genes², more than 4 million molecular³ markers and sequence information between genes.

 

The wheat has a large, complex genome with 16 billion base pairs or the building blocks of DNA⁴, more than five times larger than the human genome.

 

Sequencing the bread wheat genome is challenging also due to its complexity⁵, comprising three sub-genomes and more than 85 percent repeated elements in its genome, according to the study.

 

The repetitive elements means that vast parts of the genome are very similar to each other, making it difficult to distinguish each sub-genome and to put together the genome into its correct order.

 

More than 200 scientists in 20 countries collaborated⁶ to work out the results in 13 years, according to the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC).

 

"This will greatly speed up our efforts on identification of agriculturally important wheat genes, including those that would help to combat major fungal diseases," said Kostya Kanyuka with the IWGSC.

 

"Completing this work means we can identify genes controlling traits of interest more rapidly," said Cristobal Uauy, Project Leader in crop genetics at the John Innes Center, one of the 73 research institutes participating in the study.

 

"This will facilitate and make more effective the breeding for traits like drought or disease resistance," said Uauy. 

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