Phased chromosome-level assembly provides insight into the genome architecture of hexaploid sweetpotato
Phased chromosome-level assembly provides insight into the genome architecture of hexaploid sweetpotato Shan Wu
Nat Plants. 2025 Aug 8. doi: 10.1038/s41477-025-02079-6. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
The hexaploid sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) is a globally important stable crop that plays a key role in biofortification. Its high resilience and adaptability provide distinct advantages in addressing food security and climate challenges. Here we report a haplotype-resolved chromosome-level genome assembly of an African cultivar, ‘Tanzania’, revealing mosaic genomic origins along haplotype-phased chromosomes. The wild tetraploid I. aequatoriensis, currently found in coastal Ecuador, contributes to a substantial fraction of the sweetpotato genome. Another large proportion of the genome shows a closer genetic relationship to the wild tetraploid I. batatas 4×, distributed in Central America. The sequences contributed by different wild species are not distributed in typical subgenomes but are intertwined along chromosomes, possibly owing to the known non-preferential recombination among sweetpotato haplotypes. This study improves our understanding of sweetpotato origin and genome architecture and provides valuable genomic resources to accelerate sweetpotato breeding.
PMID:40781486 | DOI:10.1038/s41477-025-02079-6
The hexaploid sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) is a globally important stable crop that plays a key role in biofortification. Its high resilience and adaptability provide distinct advantages in addressing food security and climate challenges. Here we report a haplotype-resolved chromosome-level genome assembly of an African cultivar, ‘Tanzania’, revealing mosaic genomic origins along haplotype-phased chromosomes. The wild tetraploid I. aequatoriensis, currently found in coastal Ecuador,… [#item_author]