北京林业大学等单位合作解析梅花部性状的遗传基础
2018年4月27日，Nature Communications在线发表了北京林业大学张启翔教授、程堂仁教授，华大基因陈文彬与美国宾夕法尼亚州立大学邬荣领教授为通讯作者的题为“The genetic architecture of floral traits in the woody plant Prunusmume”的研究论文。
梅（Prunus mume）是一种观赏性木本植物，已在东亚经历了数千年驯化。梅花性状的高度多样性及其近年来完成的基因组测序结果使它成为研究木本植物进化过程的理想模式系统。该研究对351个梅样品（包括348个梅种质和其他3种李属植物）进行了重测序（平均测序深度为19.3x），以探究梅花序性状的遗传基础及其驯化历史。在梅种质中鉴定出李属植物高度混合的种群结构和渐渗。通过全基因组关联分析（GWAS），研究人员鉴定出一些数量性状位点（QTL）和基因组区域，其中一些基因（如MYB108）与花瓣、柱头、花萼及花芽颜色呈正相关。
Phylogenetic tree and ten representative traits of 348 mei accessions. a The inner phylogenetic tree contains 16 subtrees and one outgroup. Different colors represent different subtrees. The clade color corresponds to the color of the outer circle with sample ID. The intermediate circles from the outer circle to the inner circle (A–L) represent population structure, cultivar group, and the traits petal color, stigma color, calyx color, bud color, staminal filament color, wood color, petal number, pistil character, bud aperture, and branching phenotype. The color in each circle represents the phenotype of the trait. b Images of several representative phenotypes of these 10 traits (photographed by T.R.C.)
该研究结果揭示了有花植物（特别是木本植物）驯化的遗传基础。
Mei (Prunus mume) is an ornamental woody plant that has been domesticated in East Asia for thousands of years. High diversity in floral traits, along with its recent genome sequence, makes mei an ideal model system for studying the evolution of woody plants. Here, we investigate the genetic architecture of floral traits in mei and its domestication history by sampling and resequencing a total of 351 samples including 348 mei accessions and three other Prunus species at an average sequencing depth of 19.3×. Highly-admixed population structure and introgression from Prunus species are identified in mei accessions. Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identify significant quantitative traits locus (QTLs) and genomic regions where several genes, such as MYB108, are positively associated with petal color, stigma color, calyx color, and bud color. Results from this study shed light on the genetic basis of domestication in flowering plants, particularly woody plants.