Sunflower Genome Sequencing & Functional Genomics

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Sunflower is a globally important oilseed, food, and ornamental crop in the Asteroideae, which includes ~70% of Compositae species. Oilseed sunflower is produced on 23.7 million ha in 70 countries and ranks fourth or fifth among oilseed crops with a farmgate value exceeding $40 billion. Cultivated sunflower is primarily grown from single-cross hybrid seed, which was valued at $820 million in 2006, second only to maize (among hybrid seed crops). Wild Helianthus species have been important sources of genes for disease resistance, cytoplasmic male-sterility (CMS), abiotic stress tolerance, and other traits. Sunflower functional genomics is a part of Compositae Genome Project (CGP), which was initially funded by the USDA IFAFS program and more recently by the NSF Plant Genome Program. In the first two rounds of this project we generated over 250,000 ESTs from the sunflower genus, representing over 90% of all sunflower ESTs in Genbank, as well as substantial BAC sequences and other genomic resources. In the renewal of CGP proposal, we are characterizing the gene space of sunflower by next-generation (Roche-454 and Solexa) sequencing, to extend the EST database with an emphasis on allelic diversity, analyze the relative frequencies of nucleotide versus copy number variation, analyze evolution of paleopolyploidy and genetic diversity, develop RILs, map SFPs and analyze synteny within Compositae and with other flowering plants, and identify the genetic changes underlying phenotypic transitions in the sunflower families. The project is having a major, lasting, effect on research of the Compositae, which is one of the largest, most ecologically successful, and most economically important plant families. It is enabling researchers to address major questions in evolutionary biology and analyze candidate genes underlying key agriculturally important traits.

PROJECT LEADERS: Zhao Lai

FUNDING: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Science Foundation (NSF)