Signatures in domesticated beet genomes pointing at genes under selection in a sucrose-storing root crop.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The genus Beta encompasses important crops such as sugar, table, fodder, and leaf beets. All cultivated beets are believed to have originated from the wild sea beet, B. vulgaris subsp. maritima. Sugar beet, a recent crop dating back nearly 200 years, was selectively bred for enhanced root yield in combination with high sucrose content.

Results

We assembled a Beta diversity panel comprising wild and cultivated beet accessions. Whole-genome sequencing identified 10.3 million SNP markers. Four distinct genetic clusters were identified: table beet, sugar beet, Mediterranean sea beet, and Atlantic sea beet. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that cultivated beet accessions were genetically closer to Mediterranean than to Atlantic sea beet and that cultivated beets produc

SUBMITTER: Dhiman AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12505646 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature