Location: Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research
Title: Muller’s Ratchet in Action: The Erosion of Sexual Reproduction Genes in Domesticated Cassava (Manihot esculenta)Author
LONG, EVAN - University Of California, Davis | |
STITZER, MICHELLE - Cornell University | |
SCHULZ, AIMEE - Cornell University | |
ROMAY, M CINTA - Cornell University | |
ROBBINS, KELLY - Cornell University | |
Buckler, Edward - Ed |
Submitted to: bioRxiv
Publication Type: Pre-print Publication Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2024 Publication Date: 2/15/2024 Citation: Long, E.M., Stitzer, M., Schulz, A.J., Romay, M., Robbins, K.R., Buckler Iv, E.S. 2024. Muller’s Ratchet in Action: The Erosion of Sexual Reproduction Genes in Domesticated Cassava (Manihot esculenta). bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.14.580345. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.14.580345 Interpretive Summary: This research explores how centuries of clonal propagation in cassava, a vital food crop, have led to the accumulation of harmful genetic mutations due to the lack of sexual reproduction. This process, known as Muller's Ratchet, has caused a significant decline in cassava's reproductive performance and overall yield, posing challenges for modern breeding programs. The study utilized advanced genomic techniques to analyze 52 cassava genomes and identify 48 genes that have become less subject to natural selection. Many of these genes are related to flower and pollen development, highlighting how domestication has reduced the evolutionary pressures on these reproductive functions. These findings suggest that targeting these genetic issues could improve cassava breeding efforts, essential for developing new varieties that can meet growing global demands Technical Abstract: Centuries of clonal propagation in cassava (Manihot esculenta) have engaged Muller’s Ratchet, leading to the accumulation of deleterious mutations due to the absence of sexual recombination. This has resulted in both inbreeding depression affecting yield and a significant decrease in reproductive performance, creating hurdles for contemporary breeding programs. Cassava is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, including notable species such as rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) and poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). Expanding upon preliminary draft genomes, we annotated 7 long-read genome assemblies and aligned a total of 52 genomes, to analyze selection across the genome and the phylogeny. Through this comparative genomic approach, we identified 48 genes under relaxed selection in cassava. Notably, we discovered an overrepresentation of floral expressed genes, especially focused at six pollen-related genes. Our results indicate that domestication and a transition to clonal propagation has reduced selection pressures on sexually reproductive functions in cassava leading to an accumulation of mutations in pollen-related genes. This relaxed selection and the genome-wide deleterious mutations responsible for inbreeding depression are potential targets for improving cassava breeding, where the generation of new varieties relies on recombining favorable alleles through sexual reproduction. |