Comparison Between the Genomes of a Fiber and an Oil-Seed Variety of Flax

Abstract

Flax has been selected for two different agronomic products, namely, fiber from the stem or oil from the seed. There is substantial variation in the nuclear DNA content among varieties and accessions of flax. The reference genome for flax has been developed from the oil-seed variety Bethune. The fiber variety, Stormont cirus, which has been the focus of attention since it appears to modify its genome in response to the growth conditions, has a larger nuclear DNA content than Bethune. The comparison between the genomes of these two varieties will highlight the overall differences in the organization and content of the nuclear genome and provide a reference base for the sites of variation that are affected when the flax genome is modified. Knowledge of the regions that differ between the two varieties is important for interpreting the variation observed in Stormont cirus when the genome is modified in response to the growing environment.