title: High-throughput sequencing and mutagenesis to accelerate the domestication of Microlaena stipoides as a new food crop.
organism: Microlaena stipoides
description: Global food demand, climatic variability and reduced land availability are driving the need for domestication of new crop species. The accelerated domestication of a rice- like Australian dryland polyploid grass, Microlaena stipoides (Poaceae), was targeted using chemical mutagenesis in conjunction with high throughput sequencing of genes for key domestication traits. While M. stipoides has previously been identified as having potential as a new grain crop for human consumption, only a limited understanding of its genetic diversity and breeding system was available to aid the domestication process. Next generation sequencing of deeply-pooled target amplicons estimated allelic diversity of a selected base population at 24.1 SNP/kb and identified novel, putatively mutation induced polymorphisms at about 0.5 SNP/kb. High dose (LD97) ethylmethane sulfonate treatment was applied without inducing sterility in this polyploid species. Forward and reverse genetic screens identified beneficial alleles for the domestication trait, seed-shattering. Unique phenotypes observed in the M2 population suggest the potential for rapid accumulation of multiple beneficial traits without recourse to a traditional cross-breeding strategy. This approach may be applicable to other wild species, unlocking their potential as new food, fibre and fuel crops.
attributes.tag: estimated_size
attributes.value: 880Mb
attributes.tag: isol_growth_condt
attributes.value: http://nativeseeds.com.au/Weeping-Grass%2C-Microlaena-Stipoides.php
attributes.tag: ploidy
attributes.value: Tetraploid
attributes.tag: lat_lon
attributes.value: 37°48?49?S 144°57?47?E
attributes.tag: biome
attributes.value: Poaceae
attributes.tag: collection_date
attributes.value: 5/1/2008
attributes.tag: isolate
attributes.value: missing
attributes.tag: project_name
attributes.value: Accelerated Domestication of Australian Native Grasses
attributes.tag: geo_loc_name
attributes.value: Australia
attributes.tag: material
attributes.value: seed
attributes.tag: num_replicons
attributes.value: 30000
attributes.tag: cultivar
attributes.value: AR1
attributes.tag: propagation
attributes.value: NA
attributes.tag: env_package
attributes.value: missing
attributes.tag: investigation_type
attributes.value: eukaryote
attributes.tag: feature
attributes.value: Cultivation
attributes.tag: BioSampleModel
attributes.value: MIGS.eu