Chromosome-Level Reference Genome and Population Genomic Analysis Provide Insights into the Evolution and Improvement of Domesticated Mulberry (Morus alba)

Abstract

Mulberry (Morus spp.) is the sole plant consumed by the domesticated silkworm. However, the genome of domesticated mulberry has not yet been sequenced, and the ploidy level of this species remains unclear. Here, we report a high-quality, chromosome-level domesticated mulberry (Morus alba) genome. Analysis of genomic data and karyotype analyses confirmed that M. alba is a diploid with 28 chromosomes (2n = 2x = 28). Population genomic analysis based on resequencing of 134 mulberry accessions classified domesticated mulberry into three geographical groups, namely, Taihu Basin of southeastern China (Hu mulberry), northern and southwestern China, and Japan. Hu mulberry had the lowest nucleotide diversity among these accessions and demonstrated obvious signatures of selection associated with environmental adaptation. Further phylogenetic analysis supports a previous proposal that multiple domesticated mulberry accessions previously classified as different species actually belong to one species. This study expands our understanding of genome evolution of the genus Morus and population structure of domesticated mulberry, which would facilitate mulberry breeding and improvement.

Comparison of De Novo Assembly Strategies for Bacterial Genomes

“…In addition, long-read sequencing is a great tool to overcome the low resolution of reconstructing the repetitive regions and polyploidy of plant genomes. In combination with the SGS technology, the genomes of various plants were completely assembled [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. This leads to a deeper understanding of plants’ genomic diversity, evolution, and gene function, in turn accelerating the process of plant breeding and the production of improved varieties.…”

“…Another option is the use of Homopolish for polishing, as it corrects sequencing errors by retrieving homologs from closely related genomes and a trained ML model. The polished genomes were reported to achieve an accuracy of Q40–90 (>99.99%) [ 12 ]. From the perspective of the nature of the data, most of the related genomes utilized by Homopolish were sequenced with the Illumina platform in its early stages.…”

Hierarchical Action of Mulberry miR156 in the Vegetative Phase Transition

“…Like other perennial woody plant breeding [ 21 ], a long juvenile period limits the mulberry resource development and utilization. In recent years, the mulberry genome sequencing has been gradually completed [ 16 , 22 ] and high-throughput sequencing of small RNA also has been finished in some varieties of mulberry [ 23 , 24 ]. All of these have laid a foundation for basic research on mulberry.…”

Mulberry leaf attenuates atherosclerotic lesions in patients with coronary heart disease possibly via 1‐Deoxynojirimycin: A placebo‐controlled, double‐blind clinical trial

“…Mulberry ( Morus alba L.) is a well‐known medicinal plant, the most famous species of the genus Morus and widespread in China (Jiao et al., 2020), Japan (Jiao et al., 2020), and Korea (Park et al., 2020). 1‐Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a rich ingredient in the mulberry and an inhibitor of α‐glucosidase, which inhibits the elevation of postprandial blood glucose (Wang, Zhao, et al, 2018).…”

“…Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is a well-known medicinal plant, the most famous species of the genus Morus and widespread in China (Jiao et al, 2020), Japan (Jiao et al, 2020), and Korea (Park et al, 2020).…”