Polyploidization has provided much genetic variation for plant adaptive evolution, but the mechanisms by which the molecular evolution of polyploid genomes establishes genetic architecture underlying species differentiation are unclear. Brassica is an ideal model to increase knowledge of polyploid evolution. Here we describe a draft genome sequence of Brassica oleracea, comparing it with that of its sister species B. rapa to reveal numerous chromosome rearrangements and asymmetrical gene loss in duplicated genomic blocks, asymmetrical amplification of transposable elements, differential gene co-retention for specific pathways and variation in gene expression, including alternative splicing, among a large number of paralogous and orthologous genes. Genes related to the production of anticancer phytochemicals and morphological variations illustrate consequences of genome duplication and gene divergence, imparting biochemical and morphological variation to B. oleracea. This study provides insights into Brassica genome evolution and will underpin research into the many important crops in this genus.

Banana cultivars (Musa ssp.) are diploid, triploid and tetraploid hybrids derived from Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. We presented a high-quality draft genome assembly of M. balbisiana with 430 Mb (87%) assembled into 11 chromosomes. We identified that the recent divergence of M. acuminata (A-genome) and M. balbisiana (B-genome) occurred after lineage-specific whole-genome duplication, and that the B-genome may be more sensitive to the fractionation process compared to the A-genome. Homoeologous exchanges occurred frequently between A- and B-subgenomes in allopolyploids. Genomic variation within progenitors resulted in functional divergence of subgenomes. Global homoeologue expression dominance occurred between subgenomes of the allotriploid. Gene families related to ethylene biosynthesis and starch metabolism exhibited significant expansion at the pathway level and wide homoeologue expression dominance in the B-subgenome of the allotriploid. The independent origin of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO) homoeologue gene pairs and tandem duplication-driven expansion of ACO genes in the B-subgenome contributed to rapid and major ethylene production post-harvest in allotriploid banana fruits. The findings of this study provide greater context for understanding fruit biology, and aid the development of tools for breeding optimal banana cultivars.

Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis), an important legume crop, is grown in more than 30 countries of the world. The seed of adzuki bean, as an important source of starch, digestible protein, mineral elements, and vitamins, is widely used foods for at least a billion people. Here, we generated a high-quality draft genome sequence of adzuki bean by whole-genome shotgun sequencing. The assembled contig sequences reached to 450 Mb (83% of the genome) with an N50 of 38 kb, and the total scaffold sequences were 466.7 Mb with an N50 of 1.29 Mb. Of them, 372.9 Mb of scaffold sequences were assigned to the 11 chromosomes of adzuki bean by using a single nucleotide polymorphism genetic map. A total of 34,183 protein-coding genes were predicted. Functional analysis revealed that significant differences in starch and fat content between adzuki bean and soybean were likely due to transcriptional abundance, rather than copy number variations, of the genes related to starch and oil synthesis. We detected strong selection signals in domestication by the population analysis of 50 accessions including 11 wild, 11 semiwild, 17 landraces, and 11 improved varieties. In addition, the semiwild accessions were illuminated to have a closer relationship to the cultigen accessions than the wild type, suggesting that the semiwild adzuki bean might be a preliminary landrace and play some roles in the adzuki bean domestication. The genome sequence of adzuki bean will facilitate the identification of agronomically important genes and accelerate the improvement of adzuki bean.adzuki bean | genome sequence | starch synthesis genes | fat synthesis genes | domestication

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Malignant pleural effusion (MPE), the presence of malignant cells in pleural fluid, is often the first sign of many cancers and occurs in patients with metastatic malignancies. Accurate detection of tumor cells in pleural fluid is crucial because the presence of MPE denotes an advanced stage of disease and directs a switch in clinical managements. Cytology, as a traditional diagnostic tool, has limited sensitivity especially when tumor cells are not abundant, and may be confounded by reactive mesothelial cells in the pleural fluid. We describe a highly sensitive approach for rapid detection of metabolically active tumor cells in MPE via exploiting the altered glucose metabolism of tumor cells relative to benign cells. Metabolically active tumor cells with high glucose uptake, as evaluated by a fluorescent glucose analog (2-NBDG), are identified by high-throughput fluorescence screening within a chip containing 200,000 addressable microwells and collected for malignancy confirmation via single-cell sequencing. We demonstrate the utility of this approach through analyzing MPE from a cohort of lung cancer patients. Most candidate tumor cells identified are confirmed to harbor the same driver oncogenes as their primary lesions. In some patients, emergence of secondary mutations that mediate acquired resistance to ongoing targeted therapies is also detected before resistance is manifested in the clinical imaging. The detection scheme can be extended to analyze peripheral blood samples. Our approach may serve as a valuable complement to cytology in MPE diagnosis, helping identify the driver oncogenes and resistance-leading mutations for targeted therapies.