The sequencing of the sweet cherry genome is a joint project with the Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse at the National Research Council. Using Illumina technology, IGA has sequenced and assembled the genome of the variety 'Big Star'. The 272-Mbp long sequence scaffolds were mapped onto the peach genome, taking advantage of the synteny in the genus Prunus. We also generated transcriptome data from four organs to assist gene annotation.
We also resequenced spontaneous accessions - still growing in forests around Europe - as well as landraces and cultivars, each one providing a snapshot on genome evolution at different stages of domestication, allowing us to detect the signatures of domestication in sweet cherry.
Pinosio S (2020) A draft genome of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) reveals genome-wide and local effects of domestication. The Plant Journal 103(4):1420-1432
Funded by the National Research Council (CNR) Italy
Status: current project