SUMMARY
The domestication history of avocado (Persea americana) remains unclear, in part due to a lack of suitable genomic tools.
We created a reference genome from the Gwen varietal, which is closely related to the economically dominant Hass varietal. We also compiled a database of 34 resequenced accessions that represented the three botanical races of P. americana.
Our genome assembly had an N50 of 3.37 megabases, a BUSCO score of 91% and was scaffolded with a genetic map, producing 12 pseudo-chromosomes with 49,450 genes. We used the Gwen genome as a reference to investigate the population genomics of avocado. Our analyses were consistent with three separate domestication events; we estimated that the Mexican race diverged from the Lowland (formerly known as ‘West Indian’) and Guatemalan races >1 million years ago. We also identified putative targets of selective sweeps in domestication events; within the Guatemalan race, putative candidate genes were enriched for fruit development and ripening. We also investigated divergence between heterodichogamous flowering types.
With the help of a new reference genome, we inferred the domestication history of avocado and identified genes that may contribute to heterodichogamy, including genes with functions in pollination and floral development.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
↵* co-first authors
