Next generation sequencing to investigate genomic diversity in Caryophyllales - Macarthuria australis

Caryophyllales are a highly diverse and large order of plants with a global distribution. While some species are important crops like Beta vulgaris, many others can survive under extreme conditions. This order is well known for the complex pigment evolution, because the pigments anthocyanins and betalains occur with mutual exclusion in species of the Caryophyllales. Here we report about genome assemblies of Kewa caespitosa (Kewaceae), Macarthuria australis (Macarthuriaceae), and Pharnaceum exiguum (Molluginaceae) which are representing different taxonomic groups in the Caryophyllales. The availability of these assemblies enhances molecular investigation of these species e.g. with respect to certain genes of interest.

石竹目（Caryophyllales）是一类物种多样性极高、全球广布的大型植物目。其中部分物种为重要农作物，如甜菜（Beta vulgaris），而多数类群可在极端环境下存活。该目以复杂的色素演化机制闻名：其物种内的花青素（anthocyanins）与甜菜红素（betalains）呈现互斥分布的特征。本研究报道了垫状克瓦草（Kewa caespitosa，隶属于克瓦科Kewaceae）、澳大利亚麦克阿瑟草（Macarthuria australis，隶属于麦克阿瑟草科Macarthuriaceae）以及纤细法尔纳草（Pharnaceum exiguum，隶属于粟米草科Molluginaceae）的基因组组装结果，上述类群分别代表石竹目下的不同分类单元。此类基因组组装序列的获取，将有力推动针对这些物种的分子生物学研究，例如针对特定目标基因的相关探究。