Molecular and Genomic Tools Provide Insights on Crop Domestication and Evolution

• Rapid progress in genomic research and the development of genome-wide molecular markers for various crops significantly improved our knowledge on plant domestication and evolution. Molecular markers and other genomic tools have been used to understand the evolutionary changes that converted wild plants into domesticated crops, and the identification of loci behind domestication syndrome traits will have significant importance in the fast-track domestication of new plants. The application of genomics- assisted selection in plant breeding programs has significantly contributed to efficient plant breeding for desirable traits. Genomic tools also facilitated the efficient identification of progenitors of crops as well as centers of domestication. Multiple genomic regions with signature of selection during plant domestication have been found in various crops. Extensive analyses of plant genomes revealed that genes underlying domestication syndrome traits show a significant loss of diversity, for example, up to 95% of genetic diversity in wild relatives has been lost during domestication process in extreme cases. Genomic research revealed repeated occurrence of polyploidization during plant evolution and various interesting events that occurred following polyploidization such as gene loss and silencing. The loss of most replicated genes through time and nonrandom retention of some duplicated genes that serve as signatures of polyploidy are among interesting changes in polyploid plant genomes. Further insights into the advances in our knowledge on plant domestication and evolution made through the use of DNA markers and genomic tools is provided in this paper.

Subject headings

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Bioteknologi med applikationer på växter och djur -- Genetik och förädling inom lantbruksvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agricultural Biotechnology -- Genetics and Breeding in Agricultural Sciences (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Bioteknologi med applikationer på växter och djur -- Växtbioteknologi (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agricultural Biotechnology -- Plant Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

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