Chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation of the white star apple (Gambeya albida)
TL;DR
The first chromosome-scale genome of the white star apple is presented, generated using PacBio HiFi and Omni-C sequencing to enhance the understanding of its nutritional and pharmacological traits and facilitate improvement research.
Abstract
White star apple (Gambeya albida) is native to the lowland rainforests of Central, East, and West Africa. This species is highly valued for its nutritious fruits and offers medicinal, socio-cultural, and economic benefits. In West Africa, it contributes to food security for rural and urban communities alike. However, no genomic resources are available to untap the agronomic and medicinal traits of the white star apple. Here, we present its first chromosome-scale genome, generated using PacBio HiFi and Omni-C sequencing. The white star apple genome is highly homozygous, and we assembled 98.9% of the estimated haploid genome size (822 Mbp) into 13 pseudochromosomes. It has a base-level accuracy (QV) of 58.14, an N50 of 57 Mbp, and 97.5% BUSCO completeness, representing a reference-quality assembly. About 58.5% of the genome constitutes repetitive sequences, and ab initio gene prediction identified 33,602 gene models. This reference-quality genome of the white star apple will serve as a valuable resource to enhance our understanding of its nutritional and pharmacological traits and facilitate improvement research.