A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of Garlic (*Allium sativum*) Provides Insights into Genome Evolution and Allicin Biosynthesis
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- Published on: July 27 2020
- Source: Molecular Plant
Garlic, an economically important vegetable, spice, and medicinal crop, produces highly enlarged bulbs and unique organosulfur compounds.
Here, we report a chromosome-level genome assembly for garlic, with a total size of approximately 16.24 Gb, as well as the annotation of 57 561 predicted protein-coding genes, making garlic the first Allium species with a sequenced genome.
Analysis of this garlic genome assembly reveals a recent burst of transposable elements, explaining the substantial expansion of the garlic genome. We examined the evolution of certain genes associated with the biosynthesis of allicin and inulin neoseries-type fructans, and provided new insights into the biosynthesis of these two compounds. Furthermore, a large-scale transcriptome was produced to characterize the expression patterns of garlic genes in different tissues and at various growth stages of enlarged bulbs.
The reference genome and large-scale transcriptome data generated in this study provide valuable new resources for research on garlic biology and breeding.
