Chinese Scientists Reveal the Genomic Enigma of Desert Poplar

A collaborative study conducted by researchers from Lanzhou University, Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) and other partner institutes has successfully unravelled the whole genome sequence of desert poplar, Populus euphratica. The newly sequenced genome provides new insights for understanding the genetic basis of tree adaptation to salt stress and facilitating the genetic modification of cultivated poplars for saline fields.

Researchers studied the differences between the genome of desert poplar, and a closely related mesophytic congener, P. trichocarpa. They suggest that P. euphratica diverged from P. trichocarpa within the last 8 to 14 million years. They also found that though both species shared at least two whole-genome duplication and exhibited extensive collinearity across the gene space, species-specific genes involved in stress tolerance were selectively expanded and/or positively selected in the P. euphratica genome.

For more information, read the BGI news release at: http://www.genomics.cn/en/news/show_news?nid=99803. The research results have been published online in Nature Communications at: http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/131121/ncomms3797/full/ncomms3797.html.