Mikania micrantha genome provides insights into the molecular mechanism of rapid growth

First author: Bo Liu; Affiliations: Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture (岭南现代农业科学与技术广东省实验室): Shenzhen, China

Corresponding author: Fanghao Wan

Mikania micrantha is one of the top 100 worst invasive species that can cause serious damage to natural ecosystems and substantial economic losses. Here, we present its 1.79 Gb chromosome-scale reference genome. Half of the genome is composed of long terminal repeat retrotransposons, 80% of which have been derived from a significant expansion in the past one million years. We identify a whole genome duplication event and recent segmental duplications, which may be responsible for its rapid environmental adaptation. Additionally, we show that M. micrantha achieves higher photosynthetic capacity by CO2 absorption at night to supplement the carbon fixation during the day, as well as enhanced stem photosynthesis efficiency. Furthermore, the metabolites of M. micrantha can increase the availability of nitrogen by enriching the microbes that participate in nitrogen cycling pathways. These findings collectively provide insights into the rapid growth and invasive adaptation.

薇甘菊是最富盛名的入侵物种Top100之一，能对自然生态系统造成严重的破坏并造成重大的经济损失。本文中，作者报道了薇甘菊1.79 Gb的染色体级别参考基因组。薇甘菊基因组一半由长末端重复逆转座子组成，而其中80%源自于一百万年前的一次爆发。作者鉴定到了一次全基因组复制事件和近期的大片段重复，可能导致了薇甘菊能够快速适应环境的特性。另外，作者发现薇甘菊在晚上可以通过CO2吸收达到一个更高的光合能力，从而补充白天的碳固定，同时茎的光合效率也有所增强。此外，薇甘菊的代谢物通过富集参与氮循环通路的微生物来增强植株本身的氮利用能力。本文的发现为薇甘菊的快速生长和入侵适应提供了新的视野。

通讯：万方浩  (http://www.agis.org.cn/rctd/rcdw/szsrc/174153.htm)

个人简介：1978-1982年，湖南农学院，学士；1982-1984年，湖南农学院，硕士；1986-1989年，中国农业科学院，博士。

研究方向：围绕重要农业入侵生物防控基因组及基于组学大数据深度分析，开展深层次的入侵机制与防控新技术的研发。

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13926-4

Journal: Nature Communications

Published date: January 17, 2020