Novel Centromeric and Subtelomeric Repetitive DNA Sequences for Karyotyping the Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc.)

Bambara groundnut (<i>Vigna subterranea</i> L. Verdc.) is an un­derutilized minor legume crop with climate resilience and great potential use in world agriculture. This study aimed to cytogenetically characterize the genome and chromosome properties of Bambara groundnut. We cloned, sequenced, and mapped a 50-bp centromere-specific tandem repeat on all chromosomes. In addition, a 400-bp subtelomeric repeat was discovered and mapped on a single pair of chromosomes. A Bambara groundnut karyotype was constructed using these novel repeats along with ribosomal RNA genes (45S and 5S) and telomeric DNA sequences. This study provides the first analysis of the genome and chromosome properties of Bambara groundnut. We discuss our findings in relation to genetic improvement of Bambara groundnut and centromere evolution in legume species.