Japan’s iconic cherry trees hold deep cultural significance, yet chromosome-scale genomic resources for their wild relatives have been lacking. The Sakura 100 Genome Consortium, led by the National Institute of Genetics and the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, has now produced the first high-quality, chromosome-scale genomes of Cerasus itosakura (Edohigan) and C. jamasakura (Yamazakura).
The genomes show exceptional completeness and reveal both broad conservation and key species differences. Notably, a 1.84-Mb inversion on chromosome 8 was identified in C. itosakura, providing new insight into lineage-specific chromosomal evolution. Differences in rRNA gene cluster organization further highlight genomic diversity within Cerasus.
Using these new references, the team reconstructed the haplotypes of the ornamental cultivar ‘Somei-yoshino’, confirming its hybrid origin from C. itosakura and C. speciosa.
This work advances the understanding of cherry evolution and offers a crucial foundation for breeding, taxonomy, and conservation.
A–B : Flowers and trees of C. itosakura. C-D：Flowers and trees of C. jamasakura. E: Chromosome-level genome structures of C. jamasakura and C. itosakura. F: A large inversion identified on chromosome 8 of C. itosakura. This inversion is not observed in C. speciosa, C. jamasakura, or C. campanulata.
This work was supported by grants from ROIS (Research Organization of Information and Systems).
