Tillandsia Genome sequencing

Identifying the evolutionary processes that drive trait evolution and diversification is central to understanding plant diversity and evolution. The subgenus Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) belongs to one of the fastest radiating clades in the plant kingdom and is characterised by the repeated evolution of the water-conserving Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). CAM has evolved independently across many plant families and over short timescales, despite having a complex genetic basis. By producing the first high-quality de novo genome assemblies of a species pair representing a recent CAM/C3 shift, we were able to investigate genomic drivers of trait evolution and diversification in Tillandsia. Combining genome-wide investigations of synteny, Te dynamics, sequence evolution, gene family evolution and differential gene expression, we highlighted the crucial role of rapid gene family expansion and transposable element activity at differentially expressed genes in fuelling CAM/C3 shifts in this vast plant radiation.