Population sequencing enhances understanding of tea plant evolution

Xinchao Wang(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Feng Hu(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Yuxiao Chang(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Chun-Lei Ma(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Liyuan Wang(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Xinyuan Hao(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Alun Li(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Hao Cheng(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Lu Wang(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Peng Cui(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Ji-Qiang Jin(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Xiaobo Wang(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Kang Wei(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Cheng Ai(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Sheng Zhao(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Zhichao Wu(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Youyong Li(Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Benying Liu(Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Guodong Wang(Kunming Institute of Zoology), Liang Chen(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Jue Ruan(Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen), Yajun Yang(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)
Nature Communications
September 7, 2020
10.1038/s41467-020-18228-8
Cited by 233Open Access
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Abstract

Tea is an economically important plant characterized by a large genome, high heterozygosity, and high species diversity. In this study, we assemble a 3.26-Gb high-quality chromosome-scale genome for the 'Longjing 43' cultivar of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis. Genomic resequencing of 139 tea accessions from around the world is used to investigate the evolution and phylogenetic relationships of tea accessions. We find that hybridization has increased the heterozygosity and wide-ranging gene flow among tea populations with the spread of tea cultivation. Population genetic and transcriptomic analyses reveal that during domestication, selection for disease resistance and flavor in C. sinensis var. sinensis populations has been stronger than that in C. sinensis var. assamica populations. This study provides resources for marker-assisted breeding of tea and sets the foundation for further research on tea genetics and evolution.

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