High-quality reference genome sequences of two Cannaceae species provide insights into the evolution of Cannaceae

Abstract

Canna edulis Ker-Gawl and Canna indica L. are species belonging to the Cannaceae family and both have a very high economic value. Here, we aimed to assemble genomes of C. edulis and C. indica at the chromosome level to generate a reference genome for the Cannaceae family. We also comparatively analyzed the genomes of C. edulis and C. indica and examined the molecular mechanisms responsible for the remarkable differences in plant characteristics in C. edulis varieties. Our results indicated that genome-wide duplication events had recently occurred in C. edulis and C. indica. The comparative analysis of the genomes of C. edulis and C. indica revealed that C. edulis exhibited a remarkable level of replication of genes in the starch and sucrose metabolic pathways, especially during sucrose hydrolysis. This finding is consistent with the fact that the starch content of the C. edulis tuber is higher than that of C. indica. Simplified genome re-sequencing revealed the population structure of 241 C. edulis genes, and a genome-wide association study of leaf traits revealed the location of key genes related to leaf color and morphology. These findings extend our understanding of Cannaceade at the molecular level, and provide an effective theoretical basis for further study and utilization of Cannaceae plants.

Smart breeding driven by advances in sequencing technology

“…At present, Hyper-seq technology has been applied in plants of the Cannaceae family. 50 Due to high speed, efficiency, low cost and high adaptability, the Hyper-seq technique will also be more beneficial for non-model crops.…”

“…The Hyper‐seq technology relies on adding specific primers rather than enzymatic cleavage to amplify the specified DNA fragments; this makes the technology simpler, faster and more efficient than other sequencing technologies. At present, Hyper‐seq technology has been applied in plants of the Cannaceae family 50 . Due to high speed, efficiency, low cost and high adaptability, the Hyper‐seq technique will also be more beneficial for non‐model crops.…”

Genetic Diversity Analysis and Core Germplasm Construction of Rubus chingii Hu

“…Wang et al used Hyper-seq technology to conduct genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) on 150 tetraploid potatoes, and they discovered candidate genes that may be closely related to the formation and regulation of the flesh colors of potato tubers [ 45 ]. Fu et al combined Hyper-seq sequencing of 241 Canna edulis populations to identify key genes related to leaf color and morphology and completed the classification of C. edulis populations [ 46 ]. Ding et al constructed a sequencing library of 137 Areca catechu DNA samples using the Hyper-seq method and mined 86 candidate genes related to Areca catechu fruit shape traits [ 47 ].…”