Comparative analysis of rosaceous genomes and the reconstruction of a putative ancestral genome for the family

• Main Authors: Velasco Riccardo, Gardiner Susan, Iezzoni Amy, van der Knaap Esther, Cabrera Antonio, Pindo Massimo, Crowhurst Ross, Cestaro Alessandro, Bushakra Jill, Girona Elena, Sargent Daniel J, Illa Eudald, Arús Pere, Chagné David, Troggio Michela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2011-01-01
• Series: BMC Evolutionary Biology
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/11/9

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Comparative genome mapping studies in Rosaceae have been conducted until now by aligning genetic maps within the same genus, or closely related genera and using a limited number of common markers. The growing body of genomics resources and sequence data for both <it>Prunus </it>and <it>Fragaria </it>permits detailed comparisons between these genera and the recently released <it>Malus × domestica </it>genome sequence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We generated a comparative analysis using 806 molecular markers that are anchored genetically to the <it>Prunus </it>and/or <it>Fragaria </it>reference maps, and physically to the <it>Malus </it>genome sequence. Markers in common for <it>Malus </it>and <it>Prunus</it>, and <it>Malus </it>and <it>Fragaria</it>, respectively were 784 and 148. The correspondence between marker positions was high and conserved syntenic blocks were identified among the three genera in the Rosaceae. We reconstructed a proposed ancestral genome for the Rosaceae.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A genome containing nine chromosomes is the most likely candidate for the ancestral Rosaceae progenitor. The number of chromosomal translocations observed between the three genera investigated was low. However, the number of inversions identified among <it>Malus </it>and <it>Prunus </it>was much higher than any reported genome comparisons in plants, suggesting that small inversions have played an important role in the evolution of these two genera or of the Rosaceae.</p>