Common evolutionary trajectory of short life-cycle in Brassicaceae ruderal weeds

Understanding origin and adaptation of weeds is important for their management. Here, via genome assembly, population genomics, and QTL mapping, the authors establish Cardamine occulta as a model to study weed ruderality and show FLC and CRY2 as genetic drivers for the establishment of short life cycle. Weed species are detrimental to crop yield. An understanding of how weeds originate and adapt to field environments is needed for successful crop management and reduction of herbicide use. Although early flowering is one of the weed trait syndromes that enable ruderal weeds to overcome frequent disturbances, the underlying genetic basis is poorly understood. Here, we establish Cardamine occulta as a model to study weed ruderality. By genome assembly and QTL mapping, we identify impairment of the vernalization response regulator gene FLC and a subsequent dominant mutation in the blue-light receptor gene CRY2 as genetic drivers for the establishment of short life cycle in ruderal weeds. Population genomics study further suggests that the mutations in these two genes enable individuals to overcome human disturbances through early deposition of seeds into the soil seed bank and quickly dominate local populations, thereby facilitating their spread in East China. Notably, functionally equivalent dominant mutations in CRY2 are shared by another weed species, Rorippa palustris, suggesting a common evolutionary trajectory of early flowering in ruderal weeds in Brassicaceae.

Automated summary

Understanding the origin and adaptation of weeds is critical for their management. In this study, the authors use genome assembly, population genomics, and QTL mapping to establish Cardamine occulta as a model for studying weed ruderality, and identify FLC and CRY2 as genetic drivers for the establishment of a short life cycle.