Advances in genomics have expedited the improvement of several agriculturally important crops but similar efforts in wheat (Triticum spp.) have been more challenging. This is largely owing to the size and complexity of the wheat genome1, and the lack of genome-assembly data for multiple wheat lines2,3. Here we generated ten chromosome pseudomolecule and five scaffold assemblies of hexaploid wheat to explore the genomic diversity among wheat lines from global breeding programs. Comparative analysis revealed extensive structural rearrangements, introgressions from wild relatives and differences in gene content resulting from complex breeding histories aimed at improving adaptation to diverse environments, grain yield and quality, and resistance to stresses4,5. We provide examples outlining the utility of these genomes, including a detailed multi-genome-derived nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein repertoire involved in disease resistance and the characterization of Sm16, a gene associated with insect resistance. These genome assemblies will provide a basis for functional gene discovery and breeding to deliver the next generation of modern wheat cultivars.
GrantsUniversity of Zurich Research Priority Program Evolution in Action MEXT KAKENHI, The Birth of New Plant Species Kansas State University Kansas Wheat Commission US National Science Foundation JST CREST Israel Science Foundation National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) Vice President Fund Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture (NAP-PGREL) Agroscope Swiss National Science Foundation SGPV-FSPC JOWA swisssem IP-SUISSE Fenaco Co-operative ETH Zurich Institute of Agricultural Sciences Delley Seeds and Plants German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture German Network for Bioinformatics and Infrastructure de.NBI Groupe Limagrain Bioplatforms Australia through the Australian Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) Canadian Triticum Applied Genomics research project (CTAG2) - Genome Canada Genome Prairie Western Grains Research Foundation Government of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission Alberta Wheat Commission Viterra Australian Research Council Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology German Federal Ministry of Education and Research AMED NBRP Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association