Nature Communications

Global genomic population structure of wild and cultivated oat reveals signatures of chromosome rearrangements

W Wubishet A. Bekele R Raz Avni C Clayton L. Birkett A Asuka Itaya C Charlene P. Wight J Justin Bellavance S Sophie Brodführer F Francisco J. Canales C Craig H. Carlson A Anne Fiebig Y Yongle Li S Steve Michel R Raja Sekhar Nandety D David J. Waring J Juan D. Arbelaez A Aaron D. Beattie M Melanie Caffe I Isabel A. del Blanco J Jason D. Fiedler R Rajeev Gupta L Lucia Gutierrez J John C. Harris S Stephen A. Harrison M Matthias H. Herrmann Y Yung-Fen Huang J Julio Isidro y Sánchez M Michael S. McMullen J Jennifer W. Mitchell Fetch K Kirby T. Nilsen I Isobel A. P. Parkin Y YuanYing Peng K Kevin P. Smith T Tim Sutton W Weikai Yan P Pamela Zwer A Axel Diederichsen K Kathy Esvelt Klos Y Yong-Bi Fu C Catherine J. Howarth J Jean-Luc Jannink E Eric N. Jellen T Tim Langdon P Peter J. Maughan E Edyta Paczos-Grzęda E Elena Prats T Taner Z. Sen M Martin Mascher N Nicholas A. Tinker

Abstract

Abstract The genus Avena consists of approximately 30 wild and cultivated oat species. Cultivated oat is an important food crop, yet the broader genetic diversity within the Avena gene pool remains underexplored and underexploited. Here, we characterize over 9000 wild and cultivated hexaploid oat accessions of global origin using genotyping-by-sequencing and explore population structure using multidimensional scaling and population-based clustering methods. We also conduct analyses to reveal chromosome regions associated with local adaptation, sometimes resulting from large-scale chromosome rearrangements. We report four distinct genetic populations within the wild species A. sterilis , a distinct population of cultivated A. byzantina , and multiple populations within cultivated A. sativa . Some chromosome regions associated with local adaptation are also associated with confirmed structural rearrangements on chromosomes 1A, 1C, 3C, 4C, and 7D. This work provides evidence suggesting multiple polyploid origins, multiple domestications, and/or reproductive barriers amongst Avena populations caused by differential chromosome structure.

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Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 16, Issue 1
Published October 29, 2025
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio
ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (48)

W

Wubishet A. Bekele

R

Raz Avni

C

Clayton L. Birkett

A

Asuka Itaya

C

Charlene P. Wight

J

Justin Bellavance

S

Sophie Brodführer

F

Francisco J. Canales

C

Craig H. Carlson

A

Anne Fiebig

Y

Yongle Li

S

Steve Michel

R

Raja Sekhar Nandety

D

David J. Waring

J

Juan D. Arbelaez

A

Aaron D. Beattie

M

Melanie Caffe

I

Isabel A. del Blanco

J

Jason D. Fiedler

R

Rajeev Gupta

L

Lucia Gutierrez

J

John C. Harris

S

Stephen A. Harrison

M

Matthias H. Herrmann

Y

Yung-Fen Huang

J

Julio Isidro y Sánchez

M

Michael S. McMullen

J

Jennifer W. Mitchell Fetch

K

Kirby T. Nilsen

I

Isobel A. P. Parkin

Y

YuanYing Peng

K

Kevin P. Smith

T

Tim Sutton

W

Weikai Yan

P

Pamela Zwer

A

Axel Diederichsen

K

Kathy Esvelt Klos

Y

Yong-Bi Fu

C

Catherine J. Howarth

J

Jean-Luc Jannink

E

Eric N. Jellen

T

Tim Langdon

P

Peter J. Maughan

E

Edyta Paczos-Grzęda

E

Elena Prats

T

Taner Z. Sen

M

Martin Mascher

N

Nicholas A. Tinker

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