Draft genome sequence of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) provides a resource for trait improvement.

摘要

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is the second most widely grown legume crop after soybean, accounting for a substantial proportion of human dietary nitrogen intake and playing a crucial role in food security in developing countries. The 738-Mb draft whole genome shotgun sequence of CDC Frontier, a kabuli chickpea variety is reported, which contains an estimated 28 269 genes. Resequencing and analysis of 90 cultivated and wild genotypes from 10 countries identifies targets of both breeding-associated genetic sweeps and breeding-associated balancing selection. Candidate genes for disease resistance and agronomic traits are highlighted, including traits that distinguish the 2 main market classes of cultivated chickpea desi and kabuli. It is suggested that these data comprise a resource for chickpea improvement through molecular breeding and provide insights into both genome diversity and domestication.