The Annotated Blueprint: Integrated Functional Genomic Resources for a Model Tetraploid Wheat Triticum turgidum cv. Kronos

Abstract

Triticum turgidum cv. Kronos is a tetraploid wheat cultivar that underpins one of the richest community platforms for functional genomics. Over the past decade, about 3,000 exome- and promoter-capture datasets, linked to mutagenized seed stocks, and transcriptomic and phenotypic resources have accumulated, yet the absence of a reference genome has constrained their impact. Here, we present a chromosome-scale reference genome of Kronos with high-confidence annotations, including manual curation of over 1,000 disease resistance (NLR) genes. This reference revealed previously hidden NLR diversity and clarified their genomic organization at chromosomal ends. Re-analysis of exome- and promoter-capture datasets enabled high-resolution mutation discovery in genes and regulatory regions that were previously inaccessible, uncovering the full standing variation present in Kronos mutant lines. We further re-curated transcriptomic and small RNA datasets, generating improved, genome-wide maps of microRNAs and phasiRNAs important for wheat development. Collectively, these resources elevate Kronos to reference quality and establish it as a versatile platform for functional and translational wheat research.