Dataset Information

Population genomics identifies genetic signatures of carrot domestication and improvement and uncovers the origin of high-carotenoid orange carrots.

ABSTRACT: Here an improved carrot reference genome and resequencing of 630 carrot accessions were used to investigate carrot domestication and improvement. The study demonstrated that carrot was domesticated during the Early Middle Ages in the region spanning western Asia to central Asia, and orange carrot was selected during the Renaissance period, probably in western Europe. A progressive reduction of genetic diversity accompanied this process. Genes controlling circadian clock/flowering and carotenoid accumulation were under selection during domestication and improvement. Three recessive genes, at the REC, Or and Y2 quantitative trait loci, were essential to select for the high α- and β-carotene orange phenotype. All three genes control high α- and β-carotene accumulation through molecular mechanisms that regulate the interactions between the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway, the photosynthetic system and chloroplast biogenesis. Overall, this study elucidated carrot domestication and breeding history and carotenoid genetics at a molecular level.

SUBMITTER: Coe K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10581907 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Population genomics identifies genetic signatures of carrot domestication and improvement and uncovers the origin of high-carotenoid orange carrots.

Coe Kevin K Bostan Hamed H Rolling William W Turner-Hissong Sarah S Macko-Podgórni Alicja A Senalik Douglas D Liu Su S Seth Romit R Curaba Julien J Mengist Molla Fentie MF Grzebelus Dariusz D Van Deynze Allen A Dawson Julie J Ellison Shelby S Simon Philipp P Iorizzo Massimo M

Nature plants 20230928 10

Here an improved carrot reference genome and resequencing of 630 carrot accessions were used to investigate carrot domestication and improvement. The study demonstrated that carrot was domesticated during the Early Middle Ages in the region spanning western Asia to central Asia, and orange carrot was selected during the Renaissance period, probably in western Europe. A progressive reduction of genetic diversity accompanied this process. Genes controlling circadian clock/flowering and carotenoid ...[more]

PMID: 37770615

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundUnderstanding the molecular basis of domestication can provide insights into the processes of rapid evolution and crop improvement. Here we demonstrated the processes of carrot domestication and identified genes under selection based on transcriptome analyses.ResultsThe root transcriptomes of widely differing cultivated and wild carrots were sequenced. A method accounting for sequencing errors was introduced to optimize SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) discovery. 11,369 SNPs were identified. Of these, 622 (out of 1000 tested SNPs) were validated and used to genotype a large set of cultivated carrot, wild carrot and other wild Daucus carota subspecies, primarily of European origin. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that eastern carrot may originate from Western Asia and western carrot may be selected from eastern carrot. Different wild D. carota subspecies may have contributed to the domestication of cultivated carrot. Genetic diversity was significantly reduced in western cultivars, probably through bottlenecks and selection. However, a high proportion of genetic diversity (more than 85% of the genetic diversity in wild populations) is currently retained in western cultivars. Model simulation indicated high and asymmetric gene flow from wild to cultivated carrots, spontaneously and/or by introgression breeding. Nevertheless, high genetic differentiation exists between cultivated and wild carrots (Fst = 0.295) showing the strong effects of selection. Expression patterns differed radically for some genes between cultivated and wild carrot roots which may be related to changes in root traits. The up-regulation of water-channel-protein gene expression in cultivars might be involved in changing water content and transport in roots. The activated expression of carotenoid-binding-protein genes in cultivars could be related to the high carotenoid accumulation in roots. The silencing of allergen-protein-like genes in cultivated carrot roots suggested strong human selection to reduce allergy. These results suggest that regulatory changes of gene expressions may have played a predominant role in domestication.ConclusionsWestern carrots may originate from eastern carrots. The reduction in genetic diversity in western cultivars due to domestication bottleneck/selection may have been offset by introgression from wild carrot. Differential gene expression patterns between cultivated and wild carrot roots may be a signature of strong selection for favorable cultivation traits.

Dataset Information

Population genomics identifies genetic signatures of carrot domestication and improvement and uncovers the origin of high-carotenoid orange carrots.

Publications

Population genomics identifies genetic signatures of carrot domestication and improvement and uncovers the origin of high-carotenoid orange carrots.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets