A newly developed computational biology pipeline has identified over 13,000 groups of protein-coding genes conserved across all grasses, providing a valuable resource for researchers exploring gene function in these ecologically and economically important plants.
Using genomic data from 16 fully sequenced grass species in Ensembl Plants, the study pinpointed 13,312 highly conserved gene groups—present in every species examined. The strong similarity among genes within each group suggests they play essential roles in grass biology.
Notably, the pipeline’s reliability was confirmed when 98.8% of these gene groups were also found in newly sequenced genomes from two additional grass clades not included in the initial analysis, reinforcing the strength of the method, according to a press release.
The study also uncovered 4,609 gene groups likely tied to functions unique to monocots, commelinids, or grasses — a major step toward unraveling the genetic basis of traits that contributed to the evolutionary success of grasses.
What distinguishes this research is its use of a statistical method called the Hidden Markov Model (HMM), which focuses on the conserved regions of genes critical for their function, rather than comparing entire sequences. This approach proved more effective than traditional sequence identity methods in distinguishing genes specific to certain evolutionary lineages from those shared more broadly.
For researchers conducting gene discovery, such as QTL analysis in grasses, the newly released universal_grass_peps database offers a powerful resource. It allows scientists to assess whether their genes of interest are conserved across the grass family and potentially associated with lineage-specific adaptations.
“The database offers a new source of information for grass genes of unknown function, conveniently identifying those that are common to all grasses and how grass-specific their function is likely to be.” said the study’s author, Rothamsted’s Dr Rowan Mitchell. “I hope the research community will find it useful to accelerate progress in grass genetics, including efforts to improve yield, stress resistance, and nutrient use in cereals like rice, wheat, and maize.”
