Like many of Ontario’s invasive plants, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is native to much of Eurasia and was probably introduced for medicinal and culinary purposes. Introduced to North America in the 19th century, the species has rapidly spread across the continent where it can suppress forest regeneration. Garlic mustard and many other invasive plants have been the subject of many ecological studies, but very little is known about the molecular pathways that allow species to become invasive.
To help develop garlic mustard as a model system for invasion genetics, Queen’s Biology researcher’s Nikolay Alabi, Yihan Wu, and Dr. Robert Colautti, together with collaborators at University of Tübingen and the University of British Columbia, have now sequenced and annotated a draft genome for garlic mustard.
The assembled draft genome reads 1.1 Gb in size, one third the size of the human genome, with a total of 64,770 genes! The team found low levels of heterozygosity in the genome which will help researchers around the world find genes associated with ecologically important phenotypes.
With a seedbank and corresponding field data from hundreds of populations across Europe and North America, and a rich ecological literature, a published draft genome will enable future genomic and molecular studies to supplement the growing field of invasion genetics. A more integrated biology of invasive plants can not only improve conservation strategies to manage the impacts of this invasive species, but also provide insights into the genetic basis of plant health and vigour in a changing world. To learn more, read the article in G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics.
