Genetic diversity, population structure, and selection signature in Ethiopian sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench)] germplasm

Ethiopia, the probable center of origin and diversity for sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench)] and with unique ecogeographic features, possesses a large number of sorghum landraces that have not been well studied. Increased knowledge of this diverse germplasm through large-scale genomic characterization may contribute for understanding of evolutionary biology, and adequate use of these valuable resources from the center of origin. In this study, we characterized genetic diversity, population structure and selection signature in 304 sorghum accessions collected from diverse sorghum growing regions of Ethiopia using genotyping-by-sequencing. We identified a total of 108,107 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) markers that were evenly distributed across the sorghum genome. The average gene diversity among accessions was high (H(e) = 0.29). We detected a relatively low frequency of rare alleles (26%), highlighting the potential of this germplasm for subsequent allele mining studies through genome-wide association studies. Although we found no evidence of genetic differentiation among administrative regions (F(ST) = 0.02, P = 0.12), population structure and cluster analyses showed clear differentiation among six Ethiopian sorghum populations (F(ST) = 0.28, P = 0.01) adapting to different environments. Analysis of SNP differentiation between the identified genetic groups revealed a total of 40 genomic regions carrying signatures of selection. These regions harbored candidate genes potentially involved in a variety of biological processes, including abiotic stress tolerance, pathogen defense and reproduction. Overall, a high level of untapped diversity for sorghum improvement remains available in Ethiopia, with patterns of diversity consistent with divergent selection on a range of adaptive characteristics.