IJMS, Vol. 24, Pages 6534: Chromosome-Scale Genome Assembly and Triterpenoid Saponin Biosynthesis in Korean Bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorum)

IJMS, Vol. 24, Pages 6534: Chromosome-Scale Genome Assembly and Triterpenoid Saponin Biosynthesis in Korean Bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorum)

International Journal of Molecular Sciences doi: 10.3390/ijms24076534

Authors: Dong-Jun Lee Ji-Weon Choi Ji-Nam Kang Si-Myung Lee Gyu-Hwang Park Chang-Kug Kim

Platycodon grandiflorum belongs to the Campanulaceae family and is an important medicinal and food plant in East Asia. However, on the whole, the genome evolution of P. grandiflorum and the molecular basis of its major biochemical pathways are poorly understood. We reported a chromosome-scale genome assembly of P. grandiflorum based on a hybrid method using Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Illumina sequences, and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) analysis. The assembled genome was finalized as 574 Mb, containing 41,355 protein-coding genes, and the genome completeness was assessed as 97.6% using a Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs analysis. The P. grandiflorum genome comprises nine pseudo-chromosomes with 56.9% repeat sequences, and the transcriptome analysis revealed an expansion of the 14 beta-amylin genes related to triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis. Our findings provide an understanding of P. grandiflorum genome evolution and enable genomic-assisted breeding for the mass production of important components such as triterpenoid saponins.