E. urophylla × E. grandis high-quality genome and comparative genomics provide insights on evolution and diversification of eucalyptus

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundEucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis, an economically important forest tree, provides important raw material for energy and reduces damage to native forests. However, the absence of a high-qualityE. urophylla × E. grandisreference genome has significantly hindered its evolution and genetic analysis.ResultsWe successfully presented a high-quality reference genome ofE. urophylla × E. grandis(545.75 Mb; scaffold N50, 51.62 Mb) using a combination of the Illumina, PacBio HiFi, and Hi-C sequencing platforms. A total of 34,502 genes and 58.56% of the repetitive sequences in this genome were annotated. Using genome evolution analyses, we identified a recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) event inE. urophylla × E. grandis. We further found that gene families associated with starch and sucrose metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, and plant–pathogen interaction were significantly expanded inE. urophylla × E. grandis. Moreover, comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses showed large structural variations among the different chromosomes of the 34 Eucalyptus accessions, which were divided into six clades.ConclusionsOverall, our findings provide a valuable resource for expanding our understanding of theE. urophylla × E. grandisgenome evolution, genetic improvement, and its comparative biology.