Genetic Complexity and Synteny Analysis of Castanea Genomes: Unveiling the Significance of Chestnut Species in Ecological and Genomic Perspectives

Abstract

Castanea, a prominent genus within the Fagaceae family, thrives across the expansive woodlands of eastern North America, Europe, and Asia, holding considerable ecological and economic significance. Among the invaluable forest resources, chestnuts play a pivotal role by providing both nourishment and wood products. Furthermore, they assume the status of keystone species due to their indispensable ecological functions in afforestation and the provision of crucial ecosystem services. The genomes of C. mollissima and C. sativa, estimated to be around 800 Mb in size, add to the remarkable genetic complexity of these species. We utilized the powerful Python module jcvi to conduct a thorough synteny analysis, focusing on the Chinese and European chestnut genomes. To detect structural variants between these genomes, we employed SyRI (Synteny and Rearrangement Identifier). Additionally, TBtools was utilized to visually illustrate the syntenic genes across different genomes. Our investigation involved a comprehensive synteny analysis of the Chinese chestnut genome and the Sariaslama cultivar of the European chestnut. Encouragingly, we observed a strong overall synteny between these genomes, indicating significant conservation. To enhance the accuracy and completeness of the genome assemblies, we employed Pacbio sequencing technology, which contributed to the highquality results obtained for both the European and Chinese chestnut genomes.