Genome assembly of pomegranate highlights structural variations driving population differentiation and key loci underpinning cold adaption.

ABSTRACT: Cold damage poses a significant challenge to the cultivation of soft-seeded pomegranate varieties, hindering the growth of the pomegranate industry. The genetic basis of cold tolerance in pomegranates has remained elusive, largely due to the lack of high-quality genome assemblies for cold-tolerant varieties and comprehensive population-scale genomic studies. In this study, we addressed these challenges by assembling a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome for 'Sanbai', a pomegranate variety renowned for its freezing resistance, achieving an impressive contig N50 of 15.93 Mb. This robust assembly, enhanced by long-read sequencing of 38 pomegranate accessions, facilitated the identification of 14 239 polymorphic structural variants, revealing their critical roles in genomic diversit

SUBMITTER: Luo X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11979328 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature