Multi-Species Transcriptome Assemblies of Cultivated and Wild Lentils (Lens sp.) Provide a First Glimpse at the Lentil Pangenome

Lentils (Lens sp.) are one of the main sources protein for humans in many regions, part because their rusticity allows them to withstand semi-dry climates and tolerate a wide spectrum pests. Both also highly sought-after attributes face climate change. Wild accessions, rather than cultivated varieties, typically holders most influential alleles traits. However, genomic transcriptomic research conducted lentils has been carried out on commercial accessions (L. culinaris), while wild relatives have largely neglected. Herein, we assembled, annotated, evaluated transcriptomes eight lentil including Lens culinaris relatives: L. orientalis, tomentosus, ervoides, lamottei, nigricans, two odemensis. The assemblies allowed, first time, comparison among different taxa at coding sequence level, providing further insights into evolutionary relationships between germplasm suggesting grouping seven least three conceivable gene pools. Moreover, orthologous clustering allowed estimation pan-transcriptome. It is composed 15,910 core genes, encoded all 24,226 accessory genes. pan-transcriptome clusters were screened Pfam-domain enrichment. present study high novelty, as it analysis using six species addition species. Because amount transcript sequences provided, our findings will greatly boost assist breeding efforts.