Chromosome-scale pearl millet genomes reveal CLAMT1b as key determinant of strigolactone pattern and Striga susceptibility
The yield of pearl millet, a resilient cereal crop crucial for African food security, is severely impacted by the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, which requires host-released hormones, called strigolactones (SLs), for seed germination. Herein, we identify four SLs present in the Striga-susceptible line SOSAT-C88-P10 (P10) but absent in the resistant 29Aw (Aw). We generate chromosome-scale genome assemblies, including four gapless chromosomes for each line. The Striga-resistant Aw lacks a 0.7 Mb genome segment containing two putative CARLACTONOIC ACID METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (CLAMT1) genes, which may contribute to SL biosynthesis. Functional assays show that P10CLAMT1b produces the SL-biosynthesis intermediate methyl carlactonoate (MeCLA) and that MeCLA is the precursor of P10-specific SLs. Screening a diverse pearl millet panel confirms the pivotal role of the CLAMT1 section for SL diversity and Striga susceptibility. Our results reveal a reason for Striga susceptibility in pearl millet and pave the way for generating resistant lines through marker-assisted breeding or direct genetic modification.
Authors
- Salim Bougouffa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9218-6452)
- Roberto Incitti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6554-8489)
- Rod A. Wing (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6633-6226)
- Cristina Votta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6685-6547)
- Lamis Berqdar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4677-9983)
- Michaël Abrouk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9082-1432)
- Jian You Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0779-474X)
- Ángel R. de Lera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6896-9078)
- Guan‐Ting Erica Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6780-7306)
- Intikhab Álam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5306-847X)
- Takashi Gojobori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7850-1743)
- Valentina Fiorilli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9805-1559)
- Andrea Zuccolo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7574-0714)
- Luisa Lanfranco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3961-2552)
- Salim Sioud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8125-6507)
- Simon G. Krattinger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6912-7411)
- Hendrik N. J. Kuijer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9611-8155)
- Salim Al‐Babili (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4823-2882)
- Derry Alvarez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2051-1898)
- Muhammad Jamil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0221-518X)
- Aparna Balakrishna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3404-9710)
- Xin D. Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7108-3574)
- Claudio Martínez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0390-9941)
Institutions
- Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (IT)
- Torino e-district (IT)
- University of Turin (IT)
- Universidade de Vigo (ES)
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (SA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2024-08-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51189-w
- Citations
- 14
- Primary Topic
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.39
Funders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Universiteit van Amsterdam
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement