A genomic variation map provides insights into potato evolution and key agronomic traits

Hybrid potato breeding based on diploid inbred lines is transforming the way of genetic improvement of this staple food crop, which requires a deep understanding of potato domestication and differentiation. In the present study, we resequenced 314 diploid wild and landrace accessions to generate a variome map of 47,203,407 variants. Using the variome map, we discovered the reshaping of tuber transcriptome during potato domestication, characterized genome-wide differentiation between landrace groups Stenotomum and Phureja. We identified a jasmonic acid biosynthetic gene possibly affecting the tuber dormancy period. Genome-wide association studies revealed a UDP-glycosyltransferase gene for the biosynthesis of anti-nutritional steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), and a Dehydration Responsive Element Binding (DREB) transcription factor conferring increased average tuber weight. In addition, genome similarity and group-specific SNP analyses indicated that tetraploid potatoes originated from the diploid Solanum tuberosum group Stenotomum. These findings shed light on the evolutionary trajectory of potato domestication and improvement, providing a solid foundation for advancing hybrid potato-breeding practices.