title: Molecular evidence of RNA polymerase II gene reveals the origin of worldwide cultivated barley.
abstract: The origin and domestication of cultivated barley have long been under debate. A population-based resequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the single copy of RPB2 gene was used to address barley domestication, to explore genetic differentiation of barley populations on the worldwide scale, and to understand gene-pool exchanges during the spread and subsequent development of barley cultivation. Our results revealed significant genetic differentiation among three geographically distinct wild barley populations. Differences in haplotype composition among populations from different geographical regions revealed that modern cultivated barley originated from two major wild barley populations: one from the Near East Fertile Crescent and the other from the Tibetan Plateau, supporting polyphyletic origin of cultivated barley. The results of haplotype frequencies supported multiple domestications coupled with widespread introgression events that generated genetic admixture between divergent barley gene pools. Our results not only provide important insight into the domestication and evolution of cultivated barley, but also enhance our understanding of introgression and distinct selection pressures in different environments on shaping the genetic diversity of worldwide barley populations, thus further facilitating the effective use of the wild barley germplasm.
authors: College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors: Yonggang
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors: Xifeng
authors: X
authors: Ren
authors: College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.|Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China.
authors: Dongfa
authors: D
authors: Sun
authors: College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.|Department of Biology, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3C3, Canada.
authors: Genlou
authors: G
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D001467:Hordeum / Q000235:genetics*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012319:RNA Polymerase II