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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Dear all,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Please join us in <a href="https://map.arizona.edu/107">
<b>Marley 230</b></a> <b>at 4:00 PM</b> <b>today </b>for a seminar presented by Dr. Jianwei Zhang, College of Life Science and Technology & College of Informatics, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan,
China. Dr. Zhongguo Xiong will serve as the host. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Zoom link: <a href="https://arizona.zoom.us/j/84253432688">
https://arizona.zoom.us/j/84253432688</a> (password: <b>SPLS2025</b>).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Refreshments will be provided in the Marley Lobby at 3:30 PM.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Title: A case study of the pan-genome: Tracing the evolutionary trajectory of nuclear organelle DNA in Rice<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Abstract:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> The transfer of chloroplast or mitochondrial DNA into the nuclear genome is a common phenomenon across many species, representing a significant source
of genetic variation in the nuclear genome and playing a crucial role in cellular evolution. However, the evolutionary fate and mechanisms of organelle DNA transfer in higher plants remain poorly understood. To explore the landscape and evolutionary dynamics
of nuclear organelle DNA (NORG), this study identified and analyzed NORG sequences at the pan-genome level in the genus
<i>Oryza</i>. Analysis of 22 genome assemblies from seven <i>Oryza</i> species revealed abundant organelle DNA insertions, categorized into 3,406 orthologous NORG groups (ONGs). Our findings indicate that NORGs are continuously integrated into the nuclear genome
via organelle DNA, bypassing mRNA/cDNA intermediates, and are facilitated by double-strand break repair pathways and replication-based mechanisms. Furthermore, complex NORGs were also observed to form via single mutational events during or prior to insertion
through the ligation of multiple plastid and/or mitochondrial DNA fragments. The dynamic processes of ongoing NORG insertion and loss, coupled with transposable element (TE)-induced fragmentation, appear to play critical roles in adaptive evolution and domestication.
These findings offer novel insights into the systematic understanding of crop biology through a pan-genome perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Bio</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">:
<b>Dr. Jianwei Zhang</b> has been a dual-appointed professor at the College of Life Science and Technology and the College of Informatics at Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) since 2019. He is also a member of the National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic
Improvement. Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (specializing in Bioinformatics) from HZAU in 2006. From 2006 to 2019, he worked at the Arizona Genomics Institute, University of Arizona, where he successively held positions as
a Research Associate, Assistant Research Scientist, and Research Assistant Professor before returning to HZAU.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on genomics and bioinformatics, particularly in complete genome assembly, bioinformatics analysis, and the development of integrated data platforms. His contributions include the
development of sequence assembly and editing tools, the generation of gap-free reference genome sequences for key crops such as rice and soybean, the establishment of the Rice Gene Index platform for comparative genomics, and the application of high-quality
pan-genomes to study the genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of Asian rice.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";mso-ligatures:none">===============================================================<br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Vladimir Script";mso-ligatures:none">Zhongguo Xiong</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";mso-ligatures:none"> <br>
School of Plant Sciences BIO5 Institute<br>
BIO5 Email: <span style="color:blue"><a href="mailto:zxiong@arizona.edu"><span style="color:blue">zxiong@arizona.edu</span></a></span>
<br>
Phone: (520)-621-9869<br>
Forbes 303, P.O. box 210036 Fax: (520)-621-7186<br>
University of Arizona <br>
Tucson, AZ 85721-0036 <span style="color:blue"><a href="http://ag.arizona.edu/~zxiong"><span style="color:blue">http://ag.arizona.edu/~zxiong</span></a></span><br>
===============================================================</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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