据国外媒体报道，中国的科研团队在世界范围内首次测定了梅花的基因组序列。这一研究成果发表在12月的《自然•通讯》杂志上。
梅在中国已有3000多年栽培历史。由于使用了人工嫁接技术，在中国的种植区域也十分广阔。但其高度杂合性也增加了基因组整合的难度。研究人员采用新一代的测序技术（NGS）和全基因组映射技术（WGM），对西藏的一个野生种构建出高密度的遗传图谱。最终成功得到了长达237Mb的梅花基因组参考序列。
通过研究与抗病性相关的基因将有利于培育抗病的梅花品种。研究发现在梅花基因组中存在和抗病相关的基因—PR基因家族。据报道，PR编码的蛋白质可介导植物产生防御反应，以此来抵抗病害和不良环境。例如：梅花基因组中存在的PR10，其与梅花的叶和根抗盐度、抗干旱和抗病菌的机制相关。
研究人员表示，梅花全基因组序列的测定意义重大，为果梅重要经济性状的鉴定、梅花的遗传育种乃至蔷薇科植物的研究供宝贵的资源。这项研究也为进一步探索梅花花香的成分，在休眠状态下提早开花的调控机制，以及梅花基因组与其他蔷薇科植物比较基因组等研究奠定了重要的基础。”
The genome of Prunus mume
Qixiang Zhang, Wenbin Chen, Lidan Sun, Fangying Zhao, Bangqing Huang, Weiru Yang, Ye Tao, Jia Wang, Zhiqiong Yuan, Guangyi Fan, Zhen Xing, Changlei Han, Huitang Pan, Xiao Zhong, Wenfang Shi, Xinming Liang, Dongliang Du, Fengming Sun, Zongda Xu, Ruijie Hao
Prunus mume (mei), which was domesticated in China more than 3,000 years ago as ornamental plant and fruit, is one of the first genomes among Prunus subfamilies of Rosaceae been sequenced. Here, we assemble a 280M genome by combining 101-fold next-generation sequencing and optical mapping data. We further anchor 83.9% of scaffolds to eight chromosomes with genetic map constructed by restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing. Combining P. mume genome with available data, we succeed in reconstructing nine ancestral chromosomes of Rosaceae family, as well as depicting chromosome fusion, fission and duplication history in three major subfamilies. We sequence the transcriptome of various tissues and perform genome-wide analysis to reveal the characteristics of P. mume, including its regulation of early blooming in endodormancy, immune response against bacterial infection and biosynthesis of flower scent. The P. mume genome sequence adds to our understanding of Rosaceae evolution and provides important data for improvement of fruit trees.
链接地址：https://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v3/n12/full/ncomms2290.html
