TY - JOUR

T1 - Genome sequence and genetic diversity of European ash trees

AU - Sollars, Elizabeth S A

AU - Harper, Andrea L

AU - Kelly, Laura J

AU - Sambles, Christine M

AU - Ramirez-Gonzalez, Ricardo H

AU - Swarbreck, David

AU - Kaithakottil, Gemy

AU - Cooper, Endymion D

AU - Uauy, Cristobal

AU - Havlickova, Lenka

AU - Worswick, Gemma

AU - Studholme, David J

AU - Zohren, Jasmin

AU - Salmon, Deborah L

AU - Clavijo, Bernardo J

AU - Li, Yi

AU - He, Zhesi

AU - Fellgett, Alison

AU - McKinney, Lea Vig

AU - Nielsen, Lene Rostgaard

AU - Douglas, Gerry C

AU - Kjær, Erik Dahl

AU - Downie, J Allan

AU - Boshier, David

AU - Lee, Steve

AU - Clark, Jo

AU - Grant, Murray

AU - Bancroft, Ian

AU - Caccamo, Mario

AU - Buggs, Richard J A

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Ash trees (genus Fraxinus, family Oleaceae) are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but are being devastated in Europe by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, causing ash dieback, and in North America by the herbivorous beetle Agrilus planipennis. Here we sequence the genome of a low-heterozygosity Fraxinus excelsior tree from Gloucestershire, UK, annotating 38,852 protein-coding genes of which 25% appear ash specific when compared with the genomes of ten other plant species. Analyses of paralogous genes suggest a whole-genome duplication shared with olive (Olea europaea, Oleaceae). We also re-sequence 37 F. excelsior trees from Europe, finding evidence for apparent long-term decline in effective population size. Using our reference sequence, we re-analyse association transcriptomic data, yielding improved markers for reduced susceptibility to ash dieback. Surveys of these markers in British populations suggest that reduced susceptibility to ash dieback may be more widespread in Great Britain than in Denmark. We also present evidence that susceptibility of trees to H. fraxineus is associated with their iridoid glycoside levels. This rapid, integrated, multidisciplinary research response to an emerging health threat in a non-model organism opens the way for mitigation of the epidemic.

AB - Ash trees (genus Fraxinus, family Oleaceae) are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but are being devastated in Europe by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, causing ash dieback, and in North America by the herbivorous beetle Agrilus planipennis. Here we sequence the genome of a low-heterozygosity Fraxinus excelsior tree from Gloucestershire, UK, annotating 38,852 protein-coding genes of which 25% appear ash specific when compared with the genomes of ten other plant species. Analyses of paralogous genes suggest a whole-genome duplication shared with olive (Olea europaea, Oleaceae). We also re-sequence 37 F. excelsior trees from Europe, finding evidence for apparent long-term decline in effective population size. Using our reference sequence, we re-analyse association transcriptomic data, yielding improved markers for reduced susceptibility to ash dieback. Surveys of these markers in British populations suggest that reduced susceptibility to ash dieback may be more widespread in Great Britain than in Denmark. We also present evidence that susceptibility of trees to H. fraxineus is associated with their iridoid glycoside levels. This rapid, integrated, multidisciplinary research response to an emerging health threat in a non-model organism opens the way for mitigation of the epidemic.

U2 - 10.1038/nature20786

DO - 10.1038/nature20786

M3 - Letter

C2 - 28024298

VL - 541

SP - 212

EP - 216

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

SN - 0028-0836

IS - 7636

ER -