1,135 Genomes Reveal the Global Pattern of Polymorphism in Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary Arabidopsis thaliana serves as a model organism for the study of fundamental physiological, cellular, and molecular processes. It has also greatly advanced our understanding of intraspecific genome variation. We present a detailed map of variation in 1,135 high-quality re-sequenced natural inbred lines representing the native Eurasian and North African range and recently colonized North America. We identify relict populations that continue to inhabit ancestral habitats, primarily in the Iberian Peninsula. They have mixed with a lineage that has spread to northern latitudes from an unknown glacial refugium and is now found in a much broader spectrum of habitats. Insights into the history of the species and the fine-scale distribution of genetic diversity provide the basis for full exploitation of A. thaliana natural variation through integration of genomes and epigenomes with molecular and non-molecular phenotypes.
Graphical Abstract
Highlights • The genomes of 1,135 naturally inbred lines of Arabidopsis thaliana are presented • Relict populations that continue to inhabit ancestral habitats were discovered • The last glacial maximum was important in structuring the distribution of relicts • This collection will connect genotypes and phenotypes on a species-wide level
Genomic sequencing analysis of over 1,000 natural inbred lines of Arabidopsis thaliana reveals its global population structure, migration patterns, and evolutionary history and provides a rich genetic resource for studying phenotypic variation and adaptation.