Welcome to the ISHS Brassica 2012 Symposium

Session A-3
GENOME SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS OF THE EMERGING OILSEED CROP
CAMELINA SATIVA
Kagale S. 1 *, Koh C. 2 , Bollina V. 1 , Clarke C. 2 , Sharpe A. 2 , Parkin I. 1
1 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, S7N0X2, Canada;
2 National Research Council of Canada, 110 Gymnasium Place, Saskatoon, S7N0W9, Canada.
E-mail: sateesh.Kagale@AGR.GC.CA
Camelina sativa (false flax), a novel oilseed crop with several desirable agronomic and oil-quality
attributes, is being developed as an industrial oil platform crop. Camelina seed oil holds great
potential to be a viable and sustainable feedstock for biofuel and bio-lubricant production, thus
having significant economic impact. However, currently limited genomic or genetic resources are
available for this emerging oilseed crop. To enable genomics-assisted breeding for further
improvement of Camelina, we have assembled a draft genome sequence of a doubled haploid line
(DH55). To achieve this, we generated 170 Gb of raw sequence using Illumina HiSeq2000 and
Roche pyrosequencing platforms. A total of 80 Gb high quality sequence, equivalent to ~100-fold
genome coverage, was assembled resulting in 41,000 scaffolds with an N50 size of 946 Kb
spanning 620 Mb, representing 78% of the estimated 790 Mb genome of Camelina. High density
sequence tag mapping in a segregating population is being utilized to assist with aligning the
genome sequence to the genetic map and to construct chromosome scale pseudomolecules. Whole
plant transcriptome based on RNAseq data derived from multiple tissues collected from various
stages throughout the life cycle of Camelina is being characterized to help assist in the genome
annotation process. Comparative bioinformatics analysis of the Camelina draft genome with other
sequenced crucifer genomes (Brassica rapa and Arabidopsis) has revealed striking conservation of
gene synteny and provided evidence for a whole genome triplication event. It is evident from
preliminary analyses that the proportion of genes retained in each of the subgenomes within
Camelina is higher than that observed in Brassica rapa, suggesting that Camelina may have
undergone a relatively recent polyploidization event. The genome sequence of Camelina is expected
to enrich the sequence resources of Brassica genomes and provide novel insights into the evolution
of polyploid genomes within Brassicaceae.
6 th International Symposium on Brassica and 18 th Crucifer Genetic Workshop - Catania (Italy) 12 - 16 November 2012
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