COmapper: High-resolution mapping of meiotic crossovers by long-read sequencing in Arabidopsis

Abstract

O_LIMeiotic crossovers rearrange existing genetic variation between homologous chromosomes, profoundly affecting genomic diversity. Crossovers are typically constrained to 1-3 events per chromosome pair, and their distribution is shaped by chromatin accessibility and DNA polymorphisms. Genome-wide crossover maps can be generated in plants by high-throughput short-read sequencing or linked-read sequencing. C_LIO_LIHere, we use long-read nanopore sequencing technology to develop a crossover mapping pipeline, COmapper, for high-resolution mapping of genome-wide crossovers from pooled DNA of F1 hybrid pollen and F2 recombinant seedlings derived from a cross between Arabidopsis thaliana accessions Col and Ler. We validate the high accuracy of COmapper by applying nanopore long-read sequencing to pooled DNA of Arabidopsis F2 individuals with crossovers mapped by short-read sequencing. C_LIO_LIUsing the COmapper, we constructed high-resolution genomic maps of crossovers using F1 hybrid pollen and F2 seedlings in wild type and crossover-elevated recq4a recq4b mutant, showing results comparable to short-read sequencing. Crossovers were enriched at gene-proximal promoters in wild type and increased but reshaped by high polymorphism density in recq4a recq4b. C_LIO_LIWe propose that COmapper will be widely applicable for exploring the effects of genetic, epigenetic and environmental changes on the crossover patterns across diverse plant species. C_LI