AUTHOR=Liu Wenxuan , Guo Wenhua , Chen Song , Xu Honghao , Zhao Yue , Chen Su , You Xiangling 

TITLE=A High-Quality Reference Genome Sequence and Genetic Transformation System of Aralia elata

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.822942

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.822942

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Aralia elata</italic> is a perennial woody plant of the genus <italic>Aralia</italic> in the family Araliaceae. It is rich in saponins and therefore has a wide range of pharmacological effects. Here, we report a high-quality reference genome of <italic>A. elata</italic>, with a genome size of 1.21 Gb and a contig N50 of 51.34 Mb, produced by PacBio HiFi sequencing technology. This is the first genome assembly for the genus <italic>Aralia</italic>. Through genome evolutionary analysis, we explored the phylogeny and whole genome duplication (WGD) events in the <italic>A. elata</italic> genome. The results indicated that a recent WGD event occurred in the <italic>A. elata</italic> genome. Estimation of the divergence times indicated that the WGD may be shared by Araliaceae. By analyzing the genome sequence of <italic>A. elata</italic> and combining the transcriptome data from three tissues, we discovered important genes related to triterpene saponins biosynthesis. Furthermore, based on the embryonic callus induction system of <italic>A. elata</italic> established in our laboratory, we set up the genetic transformation system of this plant. The genomic resources and genetic transformation system obtained in this study provide insights into <italic>A. elata</italic> and lays the foundation for further exploration of the <italic>A. elata</italic> regulatory mechanism.</p>