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April 21, 2020  |  

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of kiwifruit Actinidia eriantha with single-molecule sequencing and chromatin interaction mapping.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is a dioecious plant with fruits containing abundant vitamin C and minerals. A handful of kiwifruit species have been domesticated, among which Actinidiaeriantha is increasingly favored in breeding owing to its superior commercial traits. Recently, elite cultivars from A. eriantha have been successfully selected and further studies on their biology and breeding potential require genomic information, which is currently unavailable.We assembled a chromosome-scale genome sequence of A. eriantha cultivar White using single-molecular sequencing and chromatin interaction map-based scaffolding. The assembly has a total size of 690.6 megabases and an N50 of 21.7 megabases. Approximately 99% of the assembly were in 29 pseudomolecules corresponding to the 29 kiwifruit chromosomes. Forty-three percent of the A. eriantha genome are repetitive sequences, and the non-repetitive part encodes 42,988 protein-coding genes, of which 39,075 have homologues from other plant species or protein domains. The divergence time between A. eriantha and its close relative Actinidia chinensis is estimated to be 3.3 million years, and after diversification, 1,727 and 1,506 gene families are expanded and contracted in A. eriantha, respectively.We provide a high-quality reference genome for kiwifruit A. eriantha. This chromosome-scale genome assembly is substantially better than 2 published kiwifruit assemblies from A. chinensis in terms of genome contiguity and completeness. The availability of the A. eriantha genome provides a valuable resource for facilitating kiwifruit breeding and studies of kiwifruit biology. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.


April 21, 2020  |  

Tools and Strategies for Long-Read Sequencing and De Novo Assembly of Plant Genomes.

The commercial release of third-generation sequencing technologies (TGSTs), giving long and ultra-long sequencing reads, has stimulated the development of new tools for assembling highly contiguous genome sequences with unprecedented accuracy across complex repeat regions. We survey here a wide range of emerging sequencing platforms and analytical tools for de novo assembly, provide background information for each of their steps, and discuss the spectrum of available options. Our decision tree recommends workflows for the generation of a high-quality genome assembly when used in combination with the specific needs and resources of a project.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


April 21, 2020  |  

The red bayberry genome and genetic basis of sex determination.

Morella rubra, red bayberry, is an economically important fruit tree in south China. Here, we assembled the first high-quality genome for both a female and a male individual of red bayberry. The genome size was 313-Mb, and 90% sequences were assembled into eight pseudo chromosome molecules, with 32 493 predicted genes. By whole-genome comparison between the female and male and association analysis with sequences of bulked and individual DNA samples from female and male, a 59-Kb region determining female was identified and located on distal end of pseudochromosome 8, which contains abundant transposable element and seven putative genes, four of them are related to sex floral development. This 59-Kb female-specific region was likely to be derived from duplication and rearrangement of paralogous genes and retained non-recombinant in the female-specific region. Sex-specific molecular markers developed from candidate genes co-segregated with sex in a genetically diverse female and male germplasm. We propose sex determination follow the ZW model of female heterogamety. The genome sequence of red bayberry provides a valuable resource for plant sex chromosome evolution and also provides important insights for molecular biology, genetics and modern breeding in Myricaceae family. © 2018 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


April 21, 2020  |  

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Schisandra chinensis (Austrobaileyales: Schisandraceae)

Chinese magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis) is an economically important oriental medicinal plant that belongs to the Schisandraceae family. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of S. chinensis was 946,141bp in length. A total of 45 genes was annotated, including 30 protein-coding genes, 12 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. A phylogenetic tree based on the mitochondrial genome demonstrated that S. chinensis was most closely related to Schisandra sphenanthera of the Schisandraceae family.


April 21, 2020  |  

Genomic Plasticity Mediated by Transposable Elements in the Plant Pathogenic Fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum.

Phytopathogen genomes are under constant pressure to change, as pathogens are locked in an evolutionary arms race with their hosts, where pathogens evolve effector genes to manipulate their hosts, whereas the hosts evolve immune components to recognize the products of these genes. Colletotrichum higginsianum (Ch), a fungal pathogen with no known sexual morph, infects Brassicaceae plants including Arabidopsis thaliana. Previous studies revealed that Ch differs in its virulence toward various Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes, indicating the existence of coevolutionary selective pressures. However, between-strain genomic variations in Ch have not been studied. Here, we sequenced and assembled the genome of a Ch strain, resulting in a highly contiguous genome assembly, which was compared with the chromosome-level genome assembly of another strain to identify genomic variations between strains. We found that the two closely related strains vary in terms of large-scale rearrangements, the existence of strain-specific regions, and effector candidate gene sets and that these variations are frequently associated with transposable elements (TEs). Ch has a compartmentalized genome consisting of gene-sparse, TE-dense regions with more effector candidate genes and gene-dense, TE-sparse regions harboring conserved genes. Additionally, analysis of the conservation patterns and syntenic regions of effector candidate genes indicated that the two strains vary in their effector candidate gene sets because of de novo evolution, horizontal gene transfer, or gene loss after divergence. Our results reveal mechanisms for generating genomic diversity in this asexual pathogen, which are important for understanding its adaption to hosts. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.


April 21, 2020  |  

Evolution and Diversification of Kiwifruit Mitogenomes through Extensive Whole-Genome Rearrangement and Mosaic Loss of Intergenic Sequences in a Highly Variable Region.

Angiosperm mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are notable for their extreme diversity in both size and structure. However, our current understanding of this diversity is limited, and the underlying mechanism contributing to this diversity remains unclear. Here, we completely assembled and compared the mitogenomes of three kiwifruit (Actinidia) species, which represent an early divergent lineage in asterids. We found conserved gene content and fewer genomic repeats, particularly large repeats (>1?kb), in the three mitogenomes. However, sequence transfers such as intracellular events are variable and dynamic, in which both ancestral shared and recently species-specific events as well as complicated transfers of two plastid-derived sequences into the nucleus through the mitogenomic bridge were detected. We identified extensive whole-genome rearrangements among kiwifruit mitogenomes and found a highly variable V region in which fragmentation and frequent mosaic loss of intergenic sequences occurred, resulting in greatly interspecific variations. One example is the fragmentation of the V region into two regions, V1 and V2, giving rise to the two mitochondrial chromosomes of Actinidia chinensis. Finally, we compared the kiwifruit mitogenomes with those of other asterids to characterize their overall mitogenomic diversity, which identified frequent gain/loss of genes/introns across lineages. In addition to repeat-mediated recombination and import-driven hypothesis of genome size expansion reported in previous studies, our results highlight a pattern of dynamic structural variation in plant mitogenomes through global genomic rearrangements and species-specific fragmentation and mosaic loss of intergenic sequences in highly variable regions on the basis of a relatively large ancestral mitogenome. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.


April 21, 2020  |  

Comparative analysis of proteomic and metabolomic profiles of different species of Paris.

An extract prepared from species of Paris is the most widely consumed herbal product in China. The genus Paris includes a variety of genotypes with different medicinal component contents but only two are defined as official sources. Closely related species have different medicinal properties because of differential expression of proteins and metabolites. To better understand the molecular basis of these differences, we examined proteomic and metabolomic changes in rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. chinensis, P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, and P. fargesii var. fargesii using a technique known as sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra as well as gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In total, 419 proteins showed significant abundance changes, and 33 metabolites could be used to discriminate Paris species. A complex analysis of proteomic and metabolomic data revealed a higher efficiency of sucrose utilization and an elevated protein abundance in the sugar metabolic pathway of P. polyphylla var. chinensis. The pyruvate content and efficiency of acetyl-CoA-utilization in saponin biosynthesis were also higher in P. polyphylla var. chinensis than in the other two species. The results expand our understanding of the proteome and metabolome of Paris and offer new insights into the species-specific traits of these herbaceous plants. SIGNIFICANCE: The traditional Chinese medicine Paris is the most widely consumed herbal product for the treatment of joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis and antineoplastic. All Paris species have roughly the same morphological characteristics; however, different members have different medicinal compound contents. Efficient exploitation of genetic diversity is a key factor in the development of rare medicinal plants with improved agronomic traits and malleability to challenging environmental conditions. Nevertheless, only a partial understanding of physiological and molecular mechanisms of different plants of Paris can be achieved without proteomics. To better understand the molecular basis of these differences and facilitate the use of other Paris species, we examine proteomic metabolomic changes in rhizomes of Paris using the technique known as SWATH-MS and GC/TOF-MS. Our research has provided information that can be used in other studies to compare metabolic traits in different Paris species. Our findings can also serve as a theoretical basis for the selection and cultivation of other Paris species with a higher medicinal value. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


April 21, 2020  |  

A chromosome-level genome assembly of Cydia pomonella provides insights into chemical ecology and insecticide resistance.

The codling moth Cydia pomonella, a major invasive pest of pome fruit, has spread around the globe in the last half century. We generated a chromosome-level scaffold assembly including the Z chromosome and a portion of the W chromosome. This assembly reveals the duplication of an olfactory receptor gene (OR3), which we demonstrate enhances the ability of C. pomonella to exploit kairomones and pheromones in locating both host plants and mates. Genome-wide association studies contrasting insecticide-resistant and susceptible strains identify hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) potentially associated with insecticide resistance, including three SNPs found in the promoter of CYP6B2. RNAi knockdown of CYP6B2 increases C. pomonella sensitivity to two insecticides, deltamethrin and azinphos methyl. The high-quality genome assembly of C. pomonella informs the genetic basis of its invasiveness, suggesting the codling moth has distinctive capabilities and adaptive potential that may explain its worldwide expansion.


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