Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Genome of wild legume provides insights into tolerance to environmental stress

Medicago ruthenica, a wild and perennial legume forage widely distributed in semi-arid grasslands, is distinguished by its outstanding tolerance to environmental stress. It is a close relative of commonly cultivated forage of alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

Phys.org/news (MAY 14, 2021 )

Présentation
The high tolerance of M. ruthenica to environmental stress makes this species a valuable genetic resource for understanding and improving traits associated with tolerance to harsh environments.

Scientists from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS) and their collaborators sequenced and assembled genome of M. ruthenica. They elucidated mechanisms underlying the tolerance of M. ruthenica to environmental stress by comparative genomics and transcriptomic analyses. The researchers discovered that expanded FHY3/FAR1 family was involved in tolerance of M. ruthenica to drought stress. They found that many genes involved in tolerance to abiotic stress were retained in M. ruthenica compared to other cultivated Medicago species.

They identified hundreds of candidate genes associated with drought tolerance by analyzing variations in single nucleotide polymorphism using accessions of M. ruthenica with varying tolerance to drought.

Source  : Li Yuan, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Annonce (Phys.org/news)