Breakthrough in Longan Genomics: T2T Genome Assembly Achieved
We are pleased to announce a significant advancement in horticultural genomics, recently published in Plant Biotechnology Journal under the title “Improved longan genome assembly reveals insights into flowering mechanisms.”
Using an integrated approach combining PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C technology, the research team successfully assembled a high-quality genome of the widely cultivated longan variety ‘Shixia’. Key highlights include:
- Genome size: 441.5 Mb, precisely anchored to 15 chromosomes
- Contig N50: 28.1 Mb, with only three gaps remaining
- Telomeres and centromeres: 26 telomeres and 15 centromeres identified; 11 chromosomes achieved telomere-to-telomere (T2T) level completion
- Assembly quality metrics: BUSCO completeness = 98.0%, LAI = 21.2, QV = 68.1 — setting new benchmarks for continuity, completeness, and accuracy
- Gene annotation: 29,325 protein-coding genes predicted, of which 96.4% were functionally annotated
This genome map represents the most complete and accurate longan reference to date, providing a solid foundation for future gene mapping and structural variation analysis.
We are proud to share that BMKGENE provided Hi-C sequencing services for this study.
Post time: Apr-28-2026
