Genomics of Phaseolus Beans, a Major Source of Dietary Protein and Micronutrients in the Tropics

Common bean is grown and consumed principally in developing countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It is largely a subsistence crop eaten by its producers and, hence, is underestimated in production and commerce statistics. Common bean is a major source of dietary protein, which complements carbohydrate-rich sources such as rice, maize, and cassava. It is also a rich source of minerals, such as iron and zinc, and certain vitamins. Several large germplasm collections have been established, which contain large amounts of genetic diversity, including the five domesticated Phaseolus species and wild species, as well as an incipient stock collection. The genealogy and genetic diversity of P. vulgaris are among the best known in crop species through the systematic use of molecular markers, from seed proteins and isozymes to simple sequence repeats, and DNA sequences. Common bean exhibits a high level of genetic diversity, compared with other selfing species. A hierarchical organization into gene pools and ecogeographic races has been established. There are over 15 mapping populations that have been established to study the inheritance of agronomic traits in different locations. Most linkage maps have been correlated with the core map established in the BAT93 x Jalo EEP558 cross, which includes several hundreds of markers, including Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms, Short Sequence Repeats, Sequence Tagged Sites, and Target Region Amplification Polymorphisms. Over 30 individual genes for disease resistance and some 30 Quantitative Trait Loci for a broad range of agronomic traits have been tagged. Eleven BAC libraries have been developed in P. Gepts University of California, Department of Plant Sciences / MS1, Section of Crop and Ecosystem Sciences, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8780, USA. e-mail: [email protected] P.H. Moore, R. Ming (eds.), Genomics of Tropical Crop Plants 113