Genome-wide variation analysis of two Salvia hispanica L. genotypes and implication for associations with metabolic...

Advances in next-generation sequencing have accelerated genome-wide exploration of genetic diversity in underutilized oilseed crops. Salvia hispanica L. (chia), a high-nutrient pseudocereal rich in omega-3 fatty acids, is increasingly valued for its health benefits and commercial potential, yet it remains poorly characterized at the genomic level. Understanding the scale and nature of genomic variation is essential for improving complex traits such as oil yield, stress tolerance, and seed quality.

Two contrasting chia genotypes, Black-chia (CACH-B) and White- chia (CACH-W), were resequenced using the Bio-Resequencing Toolkit (BRT) pipeline. High-coverage sequencing, with a mapping rate exceeding 99% and an average depth of approximately 28×, facilitated the detection and annotation of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions and deletions (InDels), copy-number variations (CNVs), and structural variants (SVs). The functional classification of variant impacts enabled the identification of genes potentially linked to metabolic and adaptive traits.

A total of 1.97 million SNPs, 401,493 InDels, 836 CNVs, and 15,288 SVs were identified across the chia genome. Notably, approximately 53% of exonic SNPs were non-synonymous (dN/dS ≈ 1.28), predominantly affecting lipid metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and stress response pathways, potentially altering key agronomic traits. In addition, CNV hotspots were concentrated in chromosomes 3 and 6, overlapping MYB, WRKY, and bZIP transcription factor loci, may potentially be involved in stress tolerance and yield. Furthermore, structural rearrangements, including inversions and duplications within the FAD2, FAD3, and CYP450 gene clusters, were potentially associated with seed pigmentation and omega-3 biosynthesis, pointing to their potential breeding relevance. Observed heterozygosity (Hₒ ≈ 0.71) and nucleotide diversity (π ≈ 7 × 10^-3) indicated moderate to high allelic richness. In addition, the low FST value (0.038) indicates substantial genomic similarity between the two genotypes.

This study presents the first comprehensive map integrating SNPs, CNVs, and SVs in S. hispanica L. The results reveal a structurally dynamic genome characterized by substantial sequence and structural variation, providing valuable insights into genomic diversity and potential adaptive mechanisms in chia. The coexistence of high SNP diversity and abundant structural variation underpins chia's nutritional specialization and environmental resilience. These results deliver a foundational genomic resource for marker-assisted breeding, genome-wide association studies, and the development of climate-resilient chia cultivars.