Scientists sequence the cucumber genome

The genome of the cucumber has been sequenced by an international consortium led by Chinese and U.S. institutions, including the Univ. of Calif., Davis. The annotated genome was published online Nov. 1 by the journal Nature Genetics. The cucumber genome will give insight into the genetics of the whole cucurbit family, including pumpkin, squash, melon and watermelon, and will be a platform for research in plant biology, said William Lucas, professor and chair of the U.C. Davis Dept. of Plant Biology. Lucas helped develop and manage the project.

The study shows that five of the seven chromosomes in cucumber arose from 10 ancestral chromosomes shared with melon. Preliminary studies in Lucas’ lab have established comparable similarities between cucumber and pumpkin. The cucumber genome will provide insights into traits such as disease and pest resistance, the “fresh green” odor of the fruit, bitter flavors and sex expression (how the plants form flowers and fruit).

Cucumber is the seventh plant to have its genome sequence published, following the well-studied model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the poplar tree, grapevine, papaya, rice and sorghum.

“This will be the forerunner for many genomes done at a cost-effective rate,” Lucas said.