Abstract
AbstractGenes in plant secondary metabolic pathways enable biosynthesis of a range of medically and industrially important compounds, and are often clustered on chromosomes. Here, we study genomic clustering in the benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) pathway in opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), exploring relationships between gene expression, copy number variation, and metabolite production. We use Hi-C to improve the existing draft genome assembly, yielding chromosome-scale scaffolds that include 35 previously unanchored BIA genes. We find that co-expression of BIA genes increases within clusters and identify candidates with unknown function based on clustering and covariation in expression and alkaloid production. Copy number variation in critical BIA genes correlates with stark differences in alkaloid production, linking noscapine production with an 11-gene deletion, and increased thebaine/decreased morphine production with deletion of a T6ODM cluster. Our results show that the opium poppy genome is still dynamically evolving in ways that contribute to medically and industrially important phenotypes.
Funder
Gouvernement du Canada | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
General Physics and Astronomy,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Chemistry
Cited by
54 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献