Long-read genome assemblies uncover extensive loss of micro-syntenty and
conservation of macro-synteny among three woodland Eucalyptus species.
Abstract
Synteny, the ordering of sequences within homologous chromosomes, must
be maintained within the genomes of sexually reproducing species for the
sharing of alleles and production of viable, reproducing offspring.
However, when the genomes of closely related species are compared, a
loss of synteny can be observed. Synteny loss may be occurring due to
transposon-mediated recombination errors during meiosis, unequal
homologous recombination, resulting in the formation of chromosomal
rearrangements. To examine patterns of synteny amongst three closely
related, interbreeding, and wild Eucalyptus species, we assembled their
genomes using long-read DNA sequencing and de novo assembly. We identify
syntenic and rearranged regions between these genomes and estimate that
~48% of our genomes remain syntenic while
~36% is rearranged. We observed that rearrangements
highly fragment micro-synteny, however genome-wide, macro-synteny
appears to be maintained. Our results suggest that synteny between our
species is primarily lost through small-scale rearrangements, not
through sequence loss, gain, or sequence divergence. Further examination
of identified rearrangements suggests that rearrangements may be
altering the phenotypes of Eucalyptus species. Our study also questions
the use of single reference genomes in genomic studies, reliance on a
single reference genome when seeking genetic variation leads to
reference bias, especially given the scale at which we show potentially
adaptive loci have highly diverged, deleted, duplicated and/or
rearranged. This study provides an unbiased framework to look at
potential speciation and adaptive loci among a rapidly radiating
foundation species of woodland trees that are free from selective
breeding seen in most crop species.