A team of genetic researchers, led by Dr Jose de Vega of the Genome Analysis Center and Aberystwyth University, UK, has successfully sequenced the genome of a red clover variety called the Milvus B.
The red clover (Trifolium pratense). Image credit: Masaki Ikeda / CC BY-SA 3.0.
The red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a perennial, sometimes biennial herb, which occurs in rocky woodland and scrub.
The species is distributed worldwide. It is native in Eurasia and northern Africa and widely naturalized in temperate regions. It has been introduced in experimental nurseries in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The red clover is a globally significant forage legume in pastoral livestock farming systems. It is an attractive component of grassland farming, because of its high yield and protein content, nutritional value and ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
“The publication of the red clover reference genome is an important milestone, as it represents the first genome sequence of the clover forage crops, which are key components of more sustainable livestock agriculture,” said Dr de Vega, who is the first author of a paper in the journal Scientific Reports.
“The draft genome of the red clover will assist on-going breeding programs, by speeding up the incorporation of beneficial traits from a panel of diverse red clover plants sampled from all around Europe for use in sustainable agriculture.”
Structure of the red clover genome and synteny with the genome of the barrel clover (Medicago truncatula). Image credit: Jose J. De Vega et al.
According to Dr de Vega and co-authors, the genome of the red clover contains about 420 megabases – that’s 420 million base pairs of DNA letters.
“We observed large blocks of conserved synteny with the barrel clover (Medicago truncatula) and estimated that the two species diverged about 23 million years ago,” they said.
“Among the 40,868 annotated genes, we identified gene clusters involved in biochemical pathways of importance for forage quality and livestock nutrition.”
“The availability of the genome assembly will pave the way towards genomics-assisted breeding methods for forage legumes, and provide a platform for deeper understanding of the genetics of forage crop domestication,” Dr de Vega said.
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Jose J. De Vega et al. 2015. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) draft genome provides a platform for trait improvement. Scientific Reports 5, article number: 17394; doi: 10.1038/srep17394
