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The mature seed in legumes consists of an embryo and seed coat. In contrast to knowledge about the embryo, we know relatively little about the seed coat. We analyzed the gene expression during seed development using a panel of cultivated and wild pea genotypes. Gene co-expression analysis identified gene modules related to seed development, dormancy, and domestication. Oxidoreductase genes were found to be important components of developmental and domestication processes. Proteomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that domestication favored proteins involved in photosynthesis and protein metabolism at the expense of seed defense. Seed coats of wild peas were rich in cell wall-bound metabolites and the protective compounds predominated in their seed coats. Altogether, we have shown that domestication altered pea seed development and modified (mostly reduced) the transcripts along with the protein and metabolite composition of the seed coat, especially the content of the compounds involved in defense. We investigated dynamic profiles of selected identified phenolic and flavonoid metabolites across seed development. These compounds usually deteriorated the palatability and processing of the seeds. Our findings further provide resources to study secondary metabolism and strategies for improving the quality of legume seeds which comprise an important part of the human protein diet., (© 2024 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

There is growing interest in the conservation and utilization of crop wild relatives (CWR) in international food security policy and research. Legumes play an important role in human health, sustainable food production, global food security, and the resilience of current agricultural systems. Pea belongs to the ancient set of cultivated plants of the Near East domestication center and remains an important crop today. Based on genome-wide analysis, P. fulvum was identified as a well-supported species, while the diversity of wild P. sativum subsp. elatius was structured into 5 partly geographically positioned clusters. We explored the spatial and environmental patterns of two progenitor species of domesticated pea in the Mediterranean Basin and in the Fertile Crescent in relation to the past and current climate. This study revealed that isolation by distance does not explain the genetic structure of P. sativum subsp. elatius in its westward expansion from its center of origin. The genetic diversity of wild pea may be driven by Miocene-Pliocene events, while the phylogenetic diversity centers may reflect Pleisto-Holocene climatic changes. These findings help set research and discussion priorities and provide geographical and ecological information for germplasm-collecting missions, as well as for the preservation of extant diversity in ex-situ collections.