Persimmon's six-copy genome reveals its wild-to-orchard journey
Crop Improvement
The persimmon ripening on a tree in your yard each fall carries six copies of every chromosome instead of the usual two, and scientists just figured out how that genetic complexity built the sweet, orange fruit we know.
Persimmons are unusual because their cells carry six copies of each chromosome instead of the typical two, a condition called hexaploidy. Researchers sequenced the full genomes of a wild diploid persimmon relative, a four-copy species, and the cultivated six-copy persimmon, then compared them alongside DNA from 256 persimmon varieties to trace how the fruit's genetics changed as ancient farmers selected and bred it over generations.
Key Findings
Chromosome-scale genome assemblies were completed for three persimmon relatives spanning a diploid (2x), tetraploid (4x), and hexaploid (6x) ploidy series
Whole-genome resequencing data was generated for 256 cultivated Diospyros kaki varieties plus wild relatives, creating a large dataset for domestication studies
The assemblies combined PacBio HiFi long-read, Illumina short-read, and Hi-C chromosome-conformation sequencing for high-quality, chromosome-level genome maps
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists have mapped the complete genetic blueprints of three persimmon species with different chromosome counts, from wild diploid ancestors to the six-copy-genome fruit we eat today, revealing how this fruit tree evolved and was domesticated.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Genomic insights into the evolution and domestication of persimmon
This project releases genomic resources for persimmon (Diospyros) generated to study autopolyploid evolution and domestication. We produced chromosome-scale genome assemblies and gene annotations f...
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The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. The most widely cultivated of these is the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese kaki persimmon, Diospyros kaki. In 2023, China produced 80% of the world's persimmons.