The Medicago genome provides insight into the evolution of rhizobial symbioses

Nevin D. Young(University of Minnesota), Frédéric Debellé(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Giles Oldroyd(John Innes Centre), René Geurts, Steven B. Cannon(Agricultural Research Service), Michael K. Udvardi(Noble Research Institute), Vagner A. Benedito(West Virginia University), Klaus Mayer, Jérôme Gouzy(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Heiko Schoof(University of Bonn), Yves Van de Peer(Ghent University), Sebastian Proost(Ghent University), Douglas R. Cook(University of California, Davis), Blake C. Meyers(Biotechnology Institute), M. Spannagl, Foo Cheung(J. Craig Venter Institute), Stéphane De Mita, Vivek Krishnakumar(J. Craig Venter Institute), Heidrun Gundlach, Shiguo Zhou(University of Wisconsin–Madison), Joann Mudge(National Center for Genome Resources), Arvind K. Bharti(National Center for Genome Resources), Jeremy D. Murray(John Innes Centre), Marina Naoumkina(Noble Research Institute), Benjamin D. Rosen(University of California, Davis), Kevin A.T. Silverstein(University of Minnesota), Haibao Tang(J. Craig Venter Institute), Stéphane Rombauts(Ghent University), Patrick X. Zhao(Noble Research Institute), Peng Zhou(University of Minnesota), Valérie Barbe(Genoscope), Philippe Bardou(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Michael Bechner(University of Wisconsin–Madison), Arnaud Bellec(Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales), Anne Berger(Genoscope), Hélène Bergès(Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales), Shelby Bidwell(J. Craig Venter Institute), Ton Bisseling(King Saud University), Nathalie Choisne(Genoscope), Arnaud Couloux(Genoscope), Roxanne Denny(University of Minnesota), Shweta Deshpande(University of Oklahoma), Xinbin Dai(Noble Research Institute), Jeff J. Doyle(Cornell University), Anne-Marie Dudez(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Andrew Farmer(National Center for Genome Resources), Stéphanie Fouteau(Genoscope), Carolien Franken, Chrystel Gibelin(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), John Gish(University of California, Davis), Steven Goldstein(University of Wisconsin–Madison), Álvaro González(Biotechnology Institute), Pamela J. Green(Biotechnology Institute), Asis Hallab(Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research), Marijke Hartog, Axin Hua(University of Oklahoma), Sean Humphray(Wellcome Trust), Dong-Hoon Jeong(Biotechnology Institute), Yi Jing(University of Oklahoma), Anika Jöcker(Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research), Steve Kenton(University of Oklahoma), Dong-Jin Kim(International Institute of Tropical Agriculture), Kathrin Klee(Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research), Hongshing Lai(University of Oklahoma), Chunting Lang, Shaoping Lin(University of Oklahoma), Simone L. Macmil(University of Oklahoma), Ghislaine Magdelenat(Genoscope), Lucy Matthews(Wellcome Trust), Jamison McCorrison(J. Craig Venter Institute), Erin L. Monaghan(J. Craig Venter Institute), Jeong‐Hwan Mun(Rural Development Administration), Fares Z. Najar(University of Oklahoma), Christine Nicholson(Wellcome Trust), Céline Noirot, Majesta O’Bleness(University of Oklahoma), Charles R. Paule(University of Minnesota), Julie Poulain(Genoscope), Florent Prion(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Baifang Qin(University of Oklahoma), Chunmei Qu(University of Oklahoma), Ernest F. Retzel(National Center for Genome Resources), Claire Riddle(Wellcome Trust), Erika Sallet(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sylvie Samain(Genoscope), Nicolas Samson(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Iryna Sanders(University of Oklahoma), Olivier Saurat(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Claude Scarpelli(Genoscope), Thomas Schiex, Béatrice Segurens(Genoscope), Andrew Severin(Iowa State University), D. Janine Sherrier(Biotechnology Institute), Ruihua Shi(University of Oklahoma), Sarah Sims(Wellcome Trust), Susan R. Singer(Carleton College), Senjuti Sinharoy(Noble Research Institute), Lieven Sterck(Ghent University), Agnès Viollet(Genoscope), Bing Bing Wang(University of Minnesota), Keqin Wang(University of Oklahoma), Mingyi Wang(Noble Research Institute), Xiaohong Wang(University of Minnesota), Jens Warfsmann(Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research), Jean Weissenbach(Genoscope), Doug D. White(University of Oklahoma), Jim White(University of Oklahoma), Graham B. Wiley(University of Oklahoma), Patrick Wincker(Genoscope), Yanbo Xing(University of Oklahoma), Limei Yang(University of Oklahoma), Ziyun Yao(University of Oklahoma), Ying Fu(University of Oklahoma), Jixian Zhai(Biotechnology Institute), Liping Zhou(University of Oklahoma), Antoine Zuber(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Jean Denarié(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Richard A. Dixon(Noble Research Institute), Gregory D. May(National Center for Genome Resources), David C. Schwartz(University of Wisconsin–Madison), Jane Rogers(Norwich Research Park), Françis Quétier(Genoscope), Christopher D. Town(J. Craig Venter Institute), Bruce A. Roe(University of Oklahoma)
Nature
November 15, 2011
10.1038/nature10625
Cited by 1,297Open Access
Full Text

Abstract

Sequencing of Medicago truncatula, a model organism of legume biology, shows that genome duplications had a role in the evolution of endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation. Legumes are unusual among plants in that they can carry out endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation with rhizobial bacteria. The genome of Medicago truncatula (also known as barrel medic or barrel clover), a well-established model for the study of legume biology, has now been sequenced. Genome analysis shows that M. truncatula has undergone several rounds of whole-genome duplication, and that the duplication that took place approximately 58 million years ago played an important part in the evolution of endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation. Legumes (Fabaceae or Leguminosae) are unique among cultivated plants for their ability to carry out endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation with rhizobial bacteria, a process that takes place in a specialized structure known as the nodule. Legumes belong to one of the two main groups of eurosids, the Fabidae, which includes most species capable of endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation1. Legumes comprise several evolutionary lineages derived from a common ancestor 60 million years ago (Myr ago). Papilionoids are the largest clade, dating nearly to the origin of legumes and containing most cultivated species2. Medicago truncatula is a long-established model for the study of legume biology. Here we describe the draft sequence of the M. truncatula euchromatin based on a recently completed BAC assembly supplemented with Illumina shotgun sequence, together capturing ∼94% of all M. truncatula genes. A whole-genome duplication (WGD) approximately 58 Myr ago had a major role in shaping the M. truncatula genome and thereby contributed to the evolution of endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation. Subsequent to the WGD, the M. truncatula genome experienced higher levels of rearrangement than two other sequenced legumes, Glycine max and Lotus japonicus. M. truncatula is a close relative of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), a widely cultivated crop with limited genomics tools and complex autotetraploid genetics. As such, the M. truncatula genome sequence provides significant opportunities to expand alfalfa’s genomic toolbox.

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