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<p><i>Betula lenta</i> (sweet birch, cherry birch) belongs to an early-branching lineage within the genus <i>Betula</i> and is native to North America, with distinct ecological and biochemical traits. Despite its importance, genomic resources for this species have been lacking, limiting comparative and evolutionary studies across the genus. Here, we present a scaffold-level reference genome for <i>B. lenta</i>, assembled using 10X Genomics linked-read sequencing. The assembly spans 456&#xa0;Mb with a scaffold N50 of 2.99&#xa0;Mb. A total of 21,639 protein-coding genes were predicted using a combination of transcriptome, homology-based, and ab initio annotation approaches. Genome completeness assessment using BUSCO (embryophyta_odb10) revealed 96.7% assembly and 94.1% annotation completeness, highly comparable to the latest chromosome-scale <i>Betula</i> genomes (e.g., <i>B. pendula</i>, 98.8%; <i>B. fujianensis</i>, 98.5%). Comparative analysis revealed notable differences in gene content and organization between <i>B. lenta</i> and other <i>Betula</i> species, including lineage-specific expansions in gene families associated with secondary metabolism. In particular, the SABATH methyltransferase and MES methylesterase families showed diversification and distinct selective pressures in <i>B. lenta</i>, with expression patterns consistent with the species’ unique capacity to synthesize and accumulate methyl salicylate (MeSA), a key aromatic compound linked to ecological defense and metabolic specialization. This scaffold-level, well-annotated reference genome provides a valuable resource for ecological, evolutionary, and functional genomics research across the <i>Betula</i> genus, while also offering new insights into the genomic basis of aromatic metabolism in woody plants. The <i>B. lenta</i> genome assembly has been deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) under accession number GCA_976999285.</p>

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A draft genome of Betula lenta enables genomic analysis within the birch genus

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月7日

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  • Yuanxin Ye,
  • Christian Leblanc,
  • Wely Floriano,
  • Ashley Thomson

摘要

Betula lenta (sweet birch, cherry birch) belongs to an early-branching lineage within the genus Betula and is native to North America, with distinct ecological and biochemical traits. Despite its importance, genomic resources for this species have been lacking, limiting comparative and evolutionary studies across the genus. Here, we present a scaffold-level reference genome for B. lenta, assembled using 10X Genomics linked-read sequencing. The assembly spans 456 Mb with a scaffold N50 of 2.99 Mb. A total of 21,639 protein-coding genes were predicted using a combination of transcriptome, homology-based, and ab initio annotation approaches. Genome completeness assessment using BUSCO (embryophyta_odb10) revealed 96.7% assembly and 94.1% annotation completeness, highly comparable to the latest chromosome-scale Betula genomes (e.g., B. pendula, 98.8%; B. fujianensis, 98.5%). Comparative analysis revealed notable differences in gene content and organization between B. lenta and other Betula species, including lineage-specific expansions in gene families associated with secondary metabolism. In particular, the SABATH methyltransferase and MES methylesterase families showed diversification and distinct selective pressures in B. lenta, with expression patterns consistent with the species’ unique capacity to synthesize and accumulate methyl salicylate (MeSA), a key aromatic compound linked to ecological defense and metabolic specialization. This scaffold-level, well-annotated reference genome provides a valuable resource for ecological, evolutionary, and functional genomics research across the Betula genus, while also offering new insights into the genomic basis of aromatic metabolism in woody plants. The B. lenta genome assembly has been deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) under accession number GCA_976999285.