LEVERAGING PAN-GENOMES TO UNDERSTAND HIGHLY POLYMORPHIC NLRS

Abstract

Pan-genomics is a relatively new approach to genomics that focuses on the repertoire of genomic features in a taxon instead of a reference genome, and therefore is particularly useful for gene families exhibiting significant population-wide variation, such as plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptors. NLRs are key players of innate immunity and are abundant in land plant genomes. Unfortunately, NLRs frequently participate in hybrid necrosis, a phenomenon where hybrid offsprings are unusually weak often due to detrimental interactions between genetic elements from different parents. Using recently published, publicly available pan-genomic resources for the model plant <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>, I conducted bioinformatic analyses with the goal of understanding the risk factors associated with hybrid necrosis, as well as identifying novel, potential incompatibilities among NLRs. Additionally, I described a CRISPR gRNA design tool that generates small, reusable gRNA panels for pan-genomic experiments on highly polymorphic genes, for which reference-based gRNA may be inadequate.