First-ever oat pangenome may put climate-smart oats on the breakfast menu
Original story from McGill University (Montreal, Canada).
Complexity of the oat’s DNA has long resisted detailed study; this first-ever oat pangenome was built by an international consortium that included researchers at McGill’s Macdonald Campus.
Researchers have cracked one of agriculture’s most complicated genomes, revealing long-hidden DNA rearrangements that could help scientists breed oats that are more resilient, nutritious and sustainable.
The study, by an international consortium that included researchers from McGill University, presents the first-ever ‘pangenome’ and ‘pantranscriptome’ of oats. These map all known oat genes and track how they behave across 33 varieties that grow around the world.
Unravelling a sixfold genome
Oats are valued for their heart-healthy fiber and central role in plant-based foods like oat milk. Yet, because the crop carries six sets of every chromosome, a genetic complexity known as hexaploidy, its DNA has long resisted detailed study.
Using advanced sequencing technologies, the PanOat consortium assembled complete genomes for 33 wild and domesticated oat lines and analyzed gene activity in six plant tissues, from roots to grains. The resulting genetic atlas shows how oats compensate for missing or inactive genes by increasing activity in related ones. This adaptation helps maintain yield and stability despite their intricate DNA structure.
Clues from the past, tools for the future
The team also uncovered large chromosomal inversions and translocations that influence key traits such as flowering time, plant height and yield. Remarkably, some of these genetic changes trace back to mid-20th-century ‘mutation breeding’, when radiation was used to accelerate crop improvement. Those changes, the researchers found, persist in oat varieties today.
“This is a major leap for oat genomics,” shared Jaswinder Singh, Professor of plant science at McGill and co-author of the study. “We now understand how structural changes in oat DNA continue to shape modern varieties and how that knowledge can drive the next generation of climate-smart crops.” Mehtab Singh, a PhD student in Singh’s lab who collaborated on the research, is now hoping to develop a new oat that is adapted to the Canadian climate using the resources developed in this study.
Taking root: the techniques growing genetically engineered plants
Genetically engineered plants aren’t new, but the techniques being used to edit their genomes are becoming increasingly refined.
McGill researchers sequenced the genome of Park, an oat variety prized for its ability to be genetically transformed. That breakthrough opens the door for precision breeding and gene-editing using tools like CRISPR to improve nutrition, yield and resilience, explained Rajvinder Kaur, a research associate in Professor Singh’s lab and plant transformation expert.
“The Park genome is a gateway to fine-tuning traits that matter most to farmers and consumers,” Singh commented. “It allows us to engineer oats that thrive in a changing climate.”
A new era for oat research
Beyond its impact on crop science, the oat pangenome will help breeders worldwide develop more sustainable, productive and nutritious oats, shared Zhou Zhou, another contributor from McGill University, now a professor at Purdue University (IN, USA).
“Oats have always been good for people,” Singh added. “Now, with this genetic roadmap, we can make them even better for the planet.”
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