An international consortium of scientists has successfully decoded the complete genome of oats, a cereal that plays a significant role in global diets due to its nutritional value. This groundbreaking research, published in Nature, presents new opportunities to optimize oat cultivation, increase productivity, and enhance resistance to extreme climatic conditions.
The project was spearheaded by the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics in Germany, in collaboration with the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture under the Spanish National Research Council (IAS-CSIC). Understanding the genetic structure of oats will enable the development of more sustainable varieties that are better suited to warm and dry environments, such as those found in the Mediterranean region.
According to the authors, this scientific advancement will have direct implications for both human health and agriculture, facilitating the production of more nutritious and resilient food.
The research team analyzed 33 oat lines, which included both wild and cultivated varieties. They focused on the so-called pangenome, the complete set of genes representing all existing oat varieties. Utilizing this genetic material, they created an expression atlas that illustrates which genes are activated in various parts of the plant, including leaves, roots, and seeds, at different developmental stages.
Lead researcher Francisco José Canales from IAS-CSIC noted that this information will help identify the most crucial genes for improving oat yield, adaptation, and health. Elena Prats, also from IAS-CSIC, emphasized that decoding the oat pangenome illustrates how modern genomics can advance fundamental research and directly impact health, agriculture, and genetic improvement.
The research team also discovered chromosomal rearrangements that have influenced the evolution of oats. In a related study, the same researchers collaborated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to analyze around 9,000 samples of both wild and cultivated oats, published in Nature Communications. This investigation delves into the genetic organization of oat populations and identifies genomic regions linked to their adaptability.
This study highlights the existence of chromosomal rearrangements, such as inversions and translocations, in specific genomic areas associated with environmental adaptation. The authors suggest that these structural differences may have played a role in the domestication of oats and the establishment of reproductive barriers that limit genetic exchange among different populations.
