Scientists Sequence Kiwifruit Genome

An international team of scientists led by Zhangjun Fei of the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) at Cornell University, New York; Yongsheng Liu at Hefei University of Technology; and Hongwen Huang at South China Botanical Garden, has sequenced and assembled a draft genome of kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis). A heterozygous diploid Chinese kiwifruit variety, called Hongyang, was used to generate the draft genome sequence, which is accessible at the online Kiwifruit Genome Database (http://bioinfo.bti.cornell.edu/kiwi).

The draft kiwifruit genome represents the first genome sequence of a member in the order Ericales, and the third in the entire asterid lineage, after potato and tomato. The sequence of the kiwifruit genome provides a valuable resource for comparative genomics and evolutionary studies especially in the asterid lineage, which has much less genomic resources available when compared to the rosid lineage. This information also provides a great opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of agronomical important traits such as vitamin C metabolism and provide information for the fruit breeders to further enhance the fruit's nutritional value.

See BTI's news release at http://bti.cornell.edu/bti-scientist-co-leads-kiwifruit-genome-sequencing-project/.