Comparative repeatome analysis reveals new evidence on genome evolution in wild diploid Arachis (Fabaceae) species.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Opposing changes in the abundance of satellite DNA and long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements are the main contributors to the variation in genome size and heterochromatin amount in Arachis diploids. The South American genus Arachis (Fabaceae) comprises 83 species organized in nine taxonomic sections. Among them, section Arachis is characterized by species with a wide genome and karyotype diversity. Such diversity is determined mainly by the amount and composition of repetitive DNA. Here we performed computational analysis on low coverage genome sequencing to infer the dynamics of changes in major repeat families that led to the differentiation of genomes in diploid species (x = 10) of genus Arachis, focusing on section Arachis. Estimated repeat content ranged from 62.50 to 71.68% of the genomes. Species with different genome composition tended to have different landscapes of repeated sequences. Athila family retrotransposons were the most abundant and variable lineage among Arachis repeatomes, with peaks of transpositional activity inferred at different times in the evolution of the species. Satellite DNAs (satDNAs) were less abundant, but differentially represented among species. High rates of evolution of an AT-rich superfamily of satDNAs led to the differential accumulation of heterochromatin in Arachis genomes. The relationship between genome size variation and the repetitive content is complex. However, largest genomes presented a higher accumulation of LTR elements and lower contents of satDNAs. In contrast, species with lowest genome sizes tended to accumulate satDNAs in detriment of LTR elements. Phylogenetic analysis based on repetitive DNA supported the genome arrangement of section Arachis. Altogether, our results provide the most comprehensive picture on the repeatome dynamics that led to the genome differentiation of Arachis species.

Heterochromatin evolution in Arachis investigated through genome-wide analysis of repetitive DNA.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The most conspicuous difference among chromosomes and genomes in Arachis species, the patterns of heterochromatin, was mainly modeled by differential amplification of different members of one superfamily of satellite DNAs. Divergence in repetitive DNA is a primary driving force for genome and chromosome evolution. Section Arachis is karyotypically diverse and has six different genomes. Arachis glandulifera (D genome) has the most asymmetric karyotype and the highest reproductive isolation compared to the well-known A and B genome species. These features make A. glandulifera an interesting model species for studying the main repetitive components that accompanied the genome and chromosome diversification in the section. Here, we performed a genome-wide analysis of repetitive sequences in A. glandulifera and investigated the chromosome distribution of the identified satellite DNA sequences (satDNAs). LTR retroelements, mainly the Ty3-gypsy families "Fidel/Feral" and "Pipoka/Pipa", were the most represented. Comparative analyses with the A and B genomes showed that many of the previously described transposable elements (TEs) were differently represented in the D genome, and that this variation accompanied changes in DNA content. In addition, four major satDNAs were characterized. Agla_CL8sat was the major component of pericentromeric heterochromatin, while Agla_CL39sat, Agla_CL69sat, and Agla_CL122sat were found in heterochromatic and/or euchromatic regions. Even though Agla_CL8sat belong to a different family than that of the major satDNA (ATR-2) found in the heterochromatin of the A, K, and F genomes, both satDNAs are members of the same superfamily. This finding suggests that closely related satDNAs of an ancestral library were differentially amplified leading to the major changes in the heterochromatin patterns that accompanied the karyotype and genome differentiation in Arachis.

Evolutionary dynamics of an at-rich satellite DNA and its contribution to karyotype differentiation in wild diploid Arachis species.

Satellite DNA (satDNA) is a major component of the heterochromatic regions of eukaryote genomes and usually shows a high evolutionary dynamic, even among closely related species. Section Arachis (genus Arachis) is composed of species belonging to six different genomes (A, B, D, F, G and K). The most distinguishing features among these genomes are the amount and distribution of the heterochromatin in the karyotypes. With the objective of gaining insight into the sequence composition and evolutionary dynamics of the heterochromatin fraction in Arachis, we investigated here the sequence diversity, genomic abundance, and chromosomal distribution of a satDNA family (ATR-2) among seven diploid species of section Arachis. All of the isolated sequences were AT-rich and highly conserved at both intraspecific and interspecific levels, without any species-specific polymorphism. Pairwise comparisons of isolated ATR-2 monomers revealed that most of the nucleotide sites were in the first two transitional stages of Strachan's model. However, the abundance of ATR-2 was significantly different among genomes according to the 'library hypothesis'. Fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed that ATR-2 is a main component of the DAPI+ centromeric heterochromatin of the A, F, and K genomes. Thus, the evolution of the different heterochromatin patterns observed in Arachis genomes can be explained, at least in part, by the differential representation of ATR-2 among the different species or even among the chromosomes of the same complement. These findings are the first to demonstrate the participation of satDNA sequences in the karyotype diversification of wild diploid Arachis species.