Genome survey sequencing of Ailanthus altissima and identification of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

Abstract

Ailanthus altissima is a deciduous tree native to China and introduced to other parts of the world as an ornamental plant. It exhibits resistance to both abiotic and biotic stress factors and has various pharmacological effects and strong allelopathy, generating significant research interests. However, the genome sequence of this species has not been reported, limiting its research development. The purpose of the study was to determine the genome size and characteristics of A. altissima to conduct its genomic survey. Next-generation sequencing and K-mer analysis were employed to measure the genome size of A. altissima. Overall, a total of 61.93 Gb high-quality clean data were acquired, representing approximately 64.09× coverage of the A. altissima genome. The genomic characteristics of A. altissima include a genome size of 966.38 Mbp, a heterozygosis rate of 0.78 %, and a repeat rate of 41.22 %. A total of 735,179 genomic SSRs markers were identified based on genome survey sequences. Alignment analysis showed that A. altissima was closely related to Citrus sinensis and Leitneria florida-na. This study provides basic information for future whole-genomic sequencing of A. altissima. This will facilitate a knowledge of the population structure, genetic diversity, long distance-gene transfer, and pollen-based gene flow analyses of A. altissima populations from its known distribution ranges in China, focusing on planted and natural forest stands.

Development of Novel Genomewide Simple Sequence Repeat Markers for Acer truncatum Bunge and Assessment of Their Transferability to Other Closely Related Species

“…The bias of A/T bases was also found in SSR sequences of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle [28], Bunium persicum (Boiss.) Fedtsch [29], Punica granatum L. [30,31], Oryza sativa [32], and Populus trichocarpa (Torr.…”

Transcriptome analysis reveals the fruit color variation in Ailanthus altissima

“…It is used in urban afforestation, energy generation, and heavy chemical industries; it is also an attractive ornamental plant, produces good timber, strongly adapts to extreme environments, and has high pathogen resistance (Knapp & Canham, 2000; Kowarik & Säumel, 2007; Sadeghi et al, 2017). Its interspecific competition and allelopathic properties lower the diversity and richness of indigenous plant species (Brooks et al, 2021; Fotiadis et al, 2011; Ma et al, 2022; Vilà et al, 2006). However, its biological activity and medicinal value have attracted a great deal of research attention.…”