Researchers from the Plant Genetics team of the Regional Service for Agri-Food Research and Development of the Principality of Asturias (Serida) have just published a first version of the genome of the Faba Granja Asturiana variety. This advance is key for the genetic improvement and conservation of one of Asturias' most emblematic legumes.
The work has been published in the journal Data in Brief under the title "Chromosome-level dataset from de novo assembly of a Fabada common bean genotype using Illumina and PacBio technologies" and has been the result of the SUSTCROP project, funded by the Government of the Principality of Asturias and with Feder funds. The article is signed by the researchers of the Plant Genetics team María Jurado, Juan José Ferreira and Ana Campa, and they have counted on the collaboration of researcher José Vicente Die, from the University of Córdoba.
The researchers of the Plant Genetics team affirm that this work "is a key advance for its genetic improvement and conservation. It will allow us to identify its characteristics with greater precision, study the evolution of the species and provide us with a solid basis to optimize and accelerate genetic improvement programs, promoting the development of more productive, resistant varieties adapted to the needs of the agri-food sector."
For plant breeding programs, having reference genomes is essential, because they provide an accurate molecular basis for understanding its DNA (structure, function and variability). This information makes it possible to identify the network of genes associated with key agronomic characteristics, such as yield, disease resistance, stress tolerance or fruit quality. This facilitates the development of tools that enable more efficient management of diversity and streamline breeding programs.
To date, the complete genomes of nine different varieties of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) had been published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The genome of Faba Granja Asturiana (variety Andecha) now joins this set, becoming the tenth genome available for the species. This new genetic resource will contribute to the construction of the pangenome of the common bean, that is, the complete catalog of genes that exist within the species.
This knowledge will also make it possible to identify more precisely the genetic characteristics specific to this local variety (Faba Granja Asturiana, variety Andecha) that are not always reflected in the species' reference genome, and which control, for example, seed size, its high grain quality or also its greater susceptibility to certain pests and diseases.
In addition, it will provide relevant information to study the evolution of this species and a solid basis to optimize and accelerate genetic improvement programs, promoting the development of more productive, resistant varieties adapted to the needs of the Asturian agri-food sector.
The research team is already working on the publication of the genome annotation, a process that consists of identifying and describing the genes present in each chromosome and their possible biological functions. This step will complement the current assembly and provide an even more detailed view of the genetic basis that makes the morphological characteristics of this local variety unique within the species.
References
Institutional support and funding. This work has been funded by the Government of the Principality of Asturias, through the GRUPIN 2021-2023 project call, and Feder funds, with the project IDI/2021/000104 (SUSTCROP; PCTI 2018-2022). The scientific publication has been funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the State Research Agency (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and Feder funds through the project PID2021-123919OB-100.
The article in the journal Data in Brief can be consulted at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2025.112219 . It is also available open access at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340925009400 .
The genomic sequences can be consulted in the NCBI through this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/datasets/genome/GCA_051048075.1/ .
News on the Asturias Science Portal: El Serida secuencia el primer genoma completo de la Faba Granja Asturiana, un avance clave para su mejora genética y conservación - Ciencia Asturias
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