Nearly T2T, phased genome assemblies of corals reveal haplotype diversity and the evolutionary process of gene expansion.

ABSTRACT: Gene family expansion illustrates a critical aspect of evolutionary adaptation. However, the mechanisms by which gene family expansions emerge and are maintained in the genome remain unclear. Here, we report de novo, nearly telomere-to-telomere (T2T), haplotype-phased genome assemblies of 2 coral species, Acropora tenuis and Acropora digitifera. By comparing haplotypes within a single individual and across species, we identified genomic regions spanning several megabases with highly disordered gene arrangements, termed non-syntenic regions (nSRs). In these nSRs, there are clusters of genes that emerged by lineage-specific gene family expansion. The gene repertoire within nSRs exhibits significant sequence diversity and distinct expression patterns, suggesting functional diversification. We

SUBMITTER: Takeuchi T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12314368 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature