Biology subjects

Jarvis, B. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Jarvis, B. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Population and adaptation history of 739 Thlaspi arvense natural accessions

Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is a promising intermediate oilseed crop, producing oil suitable for conversion to biofuels--including aviation fuels. While domestication efforts are ongoing, a deeper understanding of the genetic architecture of traits is crucial for informing future breeding efforts. Here, we conducted the largest genomic and phenotypic survey of pennycress to date, analyzing 739 accessions collected across four continents. Leveraging whole-genome sequencing and field-collected phenotypes, we characterized the standing genetic variation underlying key agronomic traits and climate resilience. Our findings revealed multiple independent migration events to North America, with substantial genetic admixture. We identified homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana flowering-time genes that contribute to adaptation and demonstrated the agronomic benefits of winter-type pennycress. Furthermore, through multi-season field trials, we identified a genomic region containing a cluster of mTERF genes strongly associated with green canopy coverage, a critical trait for biomass retention and yield stability. These insights provide a genomic roadmap for accelerating pennycress domestication and improving its resilience to climate variability.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2025

Creating a new oilseed crop, pennycress, by combining key domestication traits using CRISPR genome editing

Considerable offseason farmland lays fallow because there are few crops that can profitably fit between primary crops. To remedy, we employed CRISPR genome editing to the freeze-tolerant, rapid cycling wild Brassica, Thlaspi arvense L. (field pennycress). High-yielding domesticated pennycress varieties were created having seed compositions comparable to "double low" canola (low erucic acid and glucosinolate). Seed glucosinolate content was reduced 75 % by combining mutations in R2R3-MYB (MYB28) and bHLH MYC (MYC3) transcription factors. Pennycress weediness was greatly reduced by knockout of the bHLH transcription factor TRANSPARENT TESTA8 (TT8), lowering seed dormancy and seed coat protections thereby mitigating pennycress re-emergence in fields. Domesticated pennycress offers farmers a profitable, low-carbon-intensity intermediate crop that confers ecosystem benefits while producing grain for renewable fuels and enhanced food security.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2018

Bioinformatic analysis reveals mechanisms underlying parasitoid venom evolution and function

Introduction Introduction Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions References Parasitoid wasps are a numerous and diverse group of insects that obligately infect other arthropod species. These wasps lay their eggs either on the surface or within the body cavity of their hosts, and the resulting offspring exploit the hosts resources to complete their development [1]. Many parasitoids also introduce venom gland derived proteins or polydnaviruses into the host during infection. These factors act through a variety of mechanisms to manipulate host biology in order to increase the fitness of the developing parasitoid offspring [2-4]. Many hosts mount immune responses to parasitoid infection, and accordingly, parasitoids have evolved multiple venom genes that encode immunom ...

genomics↗