The genetic secrets of peanut varieties unveiled

Peanuts meet the nutritional needs of underdeveloped countries as they are a rich source of protein and fatty acids. An international team of researchers led by plant breeders of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based in Hyderabad, is developing considerably. has decoded the complete set of chromosomes of two widely cultivated peanut varieties belonging to the subspecies hypogaea and fastigiata.

Genetic decoding – known as the reference genome sequence – helps to understand cell level mechanisms that allow one variety to obtain a better score than the other. For peanuts, the decisive factors are high oil and protein content, resistance to diseases and heat, and high yield.

Gene sequencing is a complex and comprehensive process that lasts for many years. The process involves several steps: a high quality DNA is isolated from the target plant and cut into pieces. It is then placed in a sequencer. With the help of special tools and bioinformatic programs, gene sequencing is synthesized.

Peanuts, which are more than 6,000 years old, have a complex genome. In this study, scientists found that the size of its sequence was comparable to that of the human genome, which had a little over 3 billion base pairs of DNA with 83,709 genes that control its characters.

During this process, the team discovered that the peanut variety was a tetraploid, which means that the cultivated peanut genome hosts two different subspecies genomes. They also found that the exchange of genomes occurred, one dominant the other.

"The tetraploid nature is the result of the natural hybridization (crossing) of two wild species called Arachisduranesnis and Arachisipaensis. The genome of the groundnut is home to both genomes of the subspecies. By living and coordinating their activities, this double diploid genome determines the quality of the crops we see in the fields, "said Rajeev Varshney, director of research at ICRISAT, speaking to India Science Wire.

Genome referencing provides researchers with access to all peanut genes, which will stimulate gene discovery and marker development studies. "It will accelerate the development of superior peanut varieties with high pod and oil yields, greater disease resistance, a rich diet, and improved, non-aflatoxin oil quality seeds," added senior scientist Manish Pandey. at ICRISAT.

This study will help broaden the genetic base for sustainable and resilient peanut production in order to meet the challenges posed byof climate changes.

The study involved scientists from research institutes in China, Taiwan, Australia, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, France, and Korea, not to mention the fact that the research was carried out by scientists. ;India. The research was published in two articles in the journal Nature Genetics. The Indian team included Manish K Pandey, Rajeev K Varshney, Vanika Garg, Amir W Khan, Prasad Bajaj and Annapurna Chitikineni (ICRISAT); Polavarapu Bilhan Kavikishor (University of Osmania) and Senjuti Sinharoy (National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi).