Xin Xie , Atul Kumar Srivastava , Mehran Khan , Yichen Zhao , Degang Zhao

1 Plant Conservation and Breeding Technology Center, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Biotechnology Institute of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, China
2 The Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Tea Sciences，Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
3 College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
Author    Correspondence author
Genomics and Applied Biology, 2024, Vol. 15, No. 2   doi: 10.5376/gab.2024.15.0010
Received: 05 Feb., 2024    Accepted: 08 Mar., 2024    Published: 19 Mar., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Xie X., Srivastava A.K., Khan M., Zhao Y.C., and Zhao D.G., 2024, Comparative genomics: insights into the evolutionary history of Eucommia ulmoides, Genomics and Applied Biology, 15(2): 75-88 (doi: 10.5376/gab.2024.15.0010)

Eucommia ulmoides, commonly known as the hardy rubber tree, is a unique and economically significant tree species with applications in rubber production as well as traditional medicine. This review delves into the evolutionary history of E. ulmoides through comparative genomics, highlighting key findings from recent genomic studies. High-quality genome assemblies have revealed significant insights into the genetic architecture and evolutionary mechanisms of this tree. Notably, the genome of E. ulmoides has undergone a whole-genome duplication event, contributing to its complex genomic structure and the expansion of gene families involved in rubber biosynthesis and stress responses. Comparative analyses of chloroplast genomes have identified heterogeneous sequence divergence and mutation hotspots, providing valuable information for conservation genetics. Transcriptome studies have uncovered sex-biased gene expression and potential sex-determination genes, shedding light on the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in this dioecious species. Additionally, high-density genetic maps and QTL analysis have facilitated the identification of growth-related traits, paving the way for genetic improvement and breeding programs. This review presents a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary history and genomic innovations of E. ulmoides, offering new perspectives for its conservation and utilization.

Eucommia ulmoides; Comparative genomics; Whole-genome duplication; Rubber biosynthesis; Chloroplast genome; Sex-biased gene expression; QTL analysis