The haplotype-resolved T2T genome for Bauhinia × blakeana sheds light on the genetic basis of flower heterosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Hong Kong orchid tree Bauhinia × blakeana Dunn has long been proposed to be a sterile interspecific hybrid exhibiting flower heterosis when compared to its likely parental species, Bauhinia purpurea L. and Bauhinia variegata L. Here, we report comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses of the 3 Bauhinia species.

Findings

We generated chromosome-level assemblies for the parental species and applied a trio-binning approach to construct a haplotype-resolved telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome for B. blakeana. Comparative chloroplast genome analysis confirmed B. purpurea as the maternal parent. Transcriptome profiling of flower tissues highlighted a closer resemblance of B. blakeana to its maternal parent. Differential gene expression analyses revealed distinct

SUBMITTER: Mu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12012898 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature