The Sorghum bicolor genome and the diversification of grasses

• DOI: 10.1038/nature07723
• Publication Date: 2009-01-28T13:46:57Z
• Authors: Andrew H. Paterson; John E. Bowers; Rémy Bruggmann; Inna Dubchak; Jane Grimwood; Heidrun Gundlach; Georg Haberer; Uffe Hellsten; Therese Mitros; Alexander Poliakov; Jeremy Schmutz; Manuel Spannagl; Haibao Tang; Xiyin Wang; Thomas Wicker; Arvind K. Bharti; Jarrod Chapman; F. Alex Feltus; Udo Gowik; Igor V. Grigoriev; Eric Lyons; Christopher A. Maher; Mihaela Martis; Apurva Narechania; Robert P. Otillar; Bryan W. Penning; Asaf A. Salamov; Yu Wang; Lifang Zhang; Nicholas C. Carpita; Michael Freeling; Alan R. Gingle; C. Thomas Hash; Beat Keller; Patricia Klein; Stephen Kresovich; Maureen C. McCann; Ray Ming; Daniel G. Peterson; Mehboob-ur-Rahman; Doreen Ware; Peter Westhoff; Klaus F. X. Mayer; Joachim Messing; Daniel S. Rokhsar
• Keywords: Sorghum bicolor

Sorghum, an African grass related to sugar cane and maize, is grown for food, feed, fibre fuel. We present initial analysis of the ∼730-megabase Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench genome, placing ∼98% genes in their chromosomal context using whole-genome shotgun sequence validated by genetic, physical syntenic information. Genetic recombination largely confined about one-third sorghum genome with gene order density similar those rice. Retrotransposon accumulation recombinationally recalcitrant heterochromatin explains ∼75% larger size compared Although repetitive DNA distributions have been preserved since palaeopolyploidization ∼70 million years ago, most duplicated sets lost one member before sorghum–rice divergence. Concerted evolution makes segment appear be only a few old. About 24% are grass-specific 7% sorghum-specific. Recent microRNA duplications may contribute sorghum's drought tolerance. The published this week. cereal widely as animal Tolerant hot, dry conditions, it staple large populations West Sahel region. Comparisons maize rice shed light on grasses C4 photosynthesis, which particularly efficient at assimilating carbon high temperatures. In addition, protein coding miRNAs that could tolerance also found. yield improvement has lagged behind other crops availability provide vital boost work its improvement. feed current paper presents ∼730 megabase bicolor. Genome comparison insights into well might