Invasive species represent excellent opportunities to study the evolutionary potential of traits important to success in novel environments. Although some ecologically-important traits have been identified in invasive species, little is typically known about the genetic mechanisms that underlie invasion success in non-model species. Here, we use a genome-wide association (GWAS) approach to identify the genetic basis of trait variation in the non-model, invasive, diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa Lam. [Asteraceae]). To assist with this analysis, we have assembled the first draft genome reference and fully annotated plastome assembly for this species, and the one of the first from this large, weedy, genus, which is of major ecological and economic importance. We collected phenotype data from 372 individuals from four native and four invasive populations of C. diffusa grown in a common environment. Using these individuals, we produced reduced-representation genotype-by-sequencing (GBS) libraries and identified 7058 SNPs. We identify two SNPs associated with leaf width in these populations, a trait which significantly varies between native and invasive populations. In this rosette forming species, increased leaf width is a major component of increased biomass, a common trait in invasive plants correlated with increased fitness. Finally, we use annotations from Arabidopsis thaliana to identify 98 candidate genes that are near the associated SNPs and highlight several good candidates for leaf width variation.

Data Use
License
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication
Recommended Citation
Turner K, Ostevik K, Grassa C, Rieseberg L. 2020. Genomic analyses of phenotypic differences between native and invasive populations of diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bvq83bk79

Funding
US National Science Foundation: 1523842
US National Science Foundation and Idaho EPSCoR: OIA-1757324
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada: 516658
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada: 327475
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada: 353026