Solyntus, the New Highly Contiguous Reference Genome for Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Area of Science:

• Plant genomics
• Crop science
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a globally significant food crop.
• Current reference genomes, like S. phureja DM, have limitations for advanced genomic studies.
• There is a continuous need for improved reference genomes in plant breeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, high-quality de novo sequenced genome of Solyntus as the next standard reference for potato (Solanum tuberosum).
• To provide a more contiguous, accurate, and homozygous diploid reference genome for potato research.
• To facilitate advancements in potato breeding and genomic analysis.

Main Methods:

• State-of-the-art long and short read sequencing technologies were employed.
• The genome was assembled using the Canu assembler.
• Contigs were scaffolded into pseudochromosomes, with 3–17 contigs per chromosome.

Main Results:

• The Solyntus genome consists of 116 contigs, forming a highly homozygous, diploid, vigorous, and self-compatible Solanum tuberosum.
• The assembly covers 93.7% of single-copy gene orthologs from the Solanaceae set.
• The genome assembly achieved an N50 of 63.7 Mbp, indicating high contiguity.

Conclusions:

• The Solyntus genome represents a significant improvement over existing potato references.
• This new reference genome is expected to drive innovation in diploid potato research and breeding.
• The genome data is publicly available for the scientific community.