Pangenome analysis in Cicer spp. provides insights into the evolution ofchickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea is an important legume crop cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. To capture the complete genetic repertoire of chickpea, a Cicer pangenome (1.87 Gb) by sequencing and assembling genomes of eight wild species of chickpea has been presented here. The modelling of Cicer pangenome indicated that it is a closed pangenome. Functional annotation of the dispensable gene set suggested the enrichment of genes related to disease resistance, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and flowering time. The variations/genes identified can be used as markers for genomics-assisted breeding or candidates for gene editing for trait improvement in chickpea.