The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) was established to sequence the wheat genome to enhance knowledge of the structure and function of the wheat genome. Bread wheat is a hexaploid, with three complete genomes termed A, B and D in the nucleus of each cell. Each of these genomes is almost twice of the human genome.
Brenchley et.al 2012 reported the sequencing of large, 17-gigabase-pair, hexaploid genome using 454?pyro-sequencing. The wheat variety Chinese Spring (CS42) was selected for sequencing because of its wide use in genome studies. Roche 454?pyro-sequencing technology (GS FLX Titanium and GS FLX+ platforms) was used to generate 85?Gb of sequence (220 million reads), corresponding to approximately fivefold coverage on the basis of an estimated genome size of 17?Gb.
Sequence assemblies, annotated gene sequences and their relationships are available for download from the European Bioinformatics Institute or at MIPS Wheat Genome Database and viewing in a synteny-based Ensembl genome browser. Annotated gene sequences and their relationships can be viewed in a Brachypodium synteny-based Ensembl genome browser.
Genome paper: Brenchley R, et al. (2012) "Analysis of the bread wheat genome using whole-genome shotgun sequencing". Nature 491, 705710.
