Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is one of the earliest cultivated crops and includes five domesticated species, C. annuum var. annuum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, C. baccatum var. pendulum, and C. pubescens.
Here, researchers report a pepper graph pan-genome and a genome variation map of 500 accessions from the five domesticated Capsicum species and close wild relatives. Researchers identify highly differentiated genomic regions among the domesticated peppers that underlie their natural variations in flowering time, characteristic flavors, and unique resistances to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Domestication sweeps detected in C. annuum var. annuum and C.baccatum var. pendulum are mostly different, and the common domestication traits, including fruit size, shape, and pungency, are achieved mainly through the selection of distinct genomic regions between these two cultivated species. Introgressions from C. baccatum into C. chinense and C. frutescens are detected, including those providing genetic sources for various biotic and abiotic stress tolerances.
Liu, F., Zhao, J., Sun, H., et al. Genomes of cultivated and wild Capsicum species provide insights into pepper domestication and population differentiation. Nat Commun 14, 5487 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41251-4