Theobroma cacao Matina 1-6 genome sequencing project

The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao L.) is a neotropical species native to Amazonian lowland rainforests (1). The Matina variety belongs to the Amelonado genetic group and represents the most common type of cacao in cultivation (3-5). Cacao is grown throughout the humid tropics in more than 50 countries for its beans, used for the production of chocolate and cosmetics. Cacao cultivation supports community livelihoods associated with more than five million smallholder farms (2). The genome of the highly homozygous Matina 1-6 clone was sequenced and annotated to develop cacao genomics tools and accelerate genetic improvement.

(1) Motamayor JC, Lachenaud P, da Silva e Mota JW, Loor R, Kuhn DN, Brown JS, Schnell RJ: Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree Theobroma cacao L. PLoS ONE 2008, 3:e3311.
(2) http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/about-cocoa/
(3) Motamayor JC, Risterucci AM, Heath M, Lanaud C: Cacao domestication II: progenitor germplasm of the Trinitario cacao cultivar. Heredity 2003, 91:322-330.
(4) Efombagn I, Motamayor J, Sounigo O, Eskes A, Nyassé S, Cilas C, Schnell R, Manzanares-Dauleux M, Kolesnikova-Allen M: Genetic diversity and structure of farm and GenBank accessions of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in Cameroon revealed by microsatellite markers. Tree Genetics & Genomes 2008, 4:821-831.
(5) Aikpokpodion P, Motamayor J, Adetimirin V, Adu-Ampomah Y, Ingelbrecht I, Eskes A, Schnell R, Kolesnikova-Allen M: Genetic diversity assessment of sub-samples of cacao, Theobroma cacao L. collections in West Africa using simple sequence repeats marker. Tree Genetics & Genomes 2009, 5:699-711.