Chromosome-level reference genome of the Soursop (Annona muricata), a
new resource for Magnoliid research and tropical pomology
Abstract
Annonaceae contain important commercially grown tropical crops, but
development of other promising species is hindered by a lack of genomic
resources to build breeding programs. In addition, Annonaceae are part
of the Magnoliids, an ancient lineage of angiosperms for which
evolutionary relationships with other major clades have remained
unclear. To provide resources to both breeders and evolutionary
researchers, we report the chromosome-level genome assembly of the
soursop (Annona muricata). We assembled the soursop genome using a total
of 444.32 Gb of DNA sequences that were generated using PacBio and
Illumina short-reads, in combination with 10XGenomics, Bionano data and
Hi-C sequencing. 949 scaffolds were assembled to a final size of
656.77Mb, with a scaffold N50 of 3.43 Mb. Repeat sequences accounted for
54.87% of the genome, and 23,375 protein-coding genes with an average
of 4.79 exons per gene were annotated using de novo, RNA-seq and
homology-based approaches. Reconstruction of the historical population
size of A. muricata showed a slow but regular contraction of the
population, likely related to Cenozoic climate changes. The soursop is
the first genome assembled in Annonaceae, supporting further studies of
floral evolution in Magnoliids, and providing an essential resource for
delineating relationships of major lineages at the base of the
angiosperms. Both genome-assisted improvement and conservation efforts
will be strengthened by the availability of the soursop genome. The
genome assembly as a community resource will further strengthen the role
of Annonaceae as model species for research on the ecology, evolution
and domestication potential of tropical species in pomology and
agroforestry.