Cranberry genomics: advances and applications

Genome sequence data and analyses are required to facilitate downstream projects such as enhancing breeding efficiency and identification of key genes of interest.
We sequenced an inbred, a 5^th generation self-line progeny, of the cranberry (V. macrocarpon) cultivar ‘Ben Lear’. Short-read Illumina data were coupled with long-read MinION data to assemble a near-chromosome scale reference genome.
Genome annotation was generated using MAKER. We also created a high-quality draft genome of wild diploid V. oxycoccos. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are often used as markers in genomic studies, both within and between species.
We identified SSRs across the two cranberry species as well as highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) and further determined SSRs that are species-specific as well as those that overlap.
A high level of sequence continuity allowed genomic synteny between the cranberry species to be determined.
The high synteny demonstrated agrees with the cross-fertility of V. macrocarpon and V. oxycoccos and supports the idea of expanding the cultivated cranberry gene pool by interspecific hybridization with V. oxycoccos.

XII International Vaccinium Symposium

J. Polashock, J. Kawash, J. Johnson-Cicalese, T. Michael, N. Vorsa

reference genome, next-generation sequencing, interspecific hybridization, simple sequence repeats

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1357.25