Evaluation of Genetic Variation among Sorghum Varieties from Southwest China via Genome Resequencing

Little is known regarding genomic variation among glutinous sorghum [ (L.) Moench] varieties grown in southwest China, which are primarily used to brew the popular Jiang-flavor liquor. This study evaluated genomic variation among six representative sorghum accessions via whole-genome resequencing. The evaluation revealed 2365,363 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 394,365 insertions and deletions, and 47,567 copy number variations among the six genomes. Chromosomes 5 and 10 showed relatively high SNP densities, whereas whole-genome diversity in this population was low. In addition, some chromosomal loci exhibited obvious selection during the breeding process. Sorghum accessions from southwest China formed an elite germplasm population compared with the findings of other geographic populations, and the elite variety 'Hongyingzi' contained 79 unique genes primarily involved in basic metabolism. The six sorghum lines contained a large number of high-confidence genes, with Hongyingzi in particular possessing 104 unique genes. These findings advance our understanding of domestication of the sorghum genome, and Chinese sorghum accessions will be valuable resources for further research and breeding improvements.