シクラメンの高精度ゲノム解読に世界で初めて成功〜花の進化の謎に迫り、新たな品種開発を加速〜

2026-10-13 かずさ DNA 研究所

かずさDNA研究所は、埼玉工業大学、九州大学、香川大学と共同で、園芸植物シクラメン（Cyclamen persicum）の高精度な全ゲノム解読に世界で初めて成功した。シクラメンは花の色や形が多様で人気の高い観賞植物だが、ゲノムが大きく複雑なため、品種改良や遺伝子機能の研究に必要な基準ゲノムの整備が遅れていた。研究チームは最新のゲノム解読・解析技術を用い、約14億8,000万塩基対からなるゲノムの98.1％を網羅し、40,223個の遺伝子を特定した。さらに、シクラメンに特有の遺伝子群や、サクラソウ科に共通する遺伝子群を明らかにし、植物の進化を理解する手がかりを得た。今回のゲノム情報は、花の色・形・香りや塊茎の成長に関わる遺伝子の機能解析に役立つ。今後、遺伝情報に基づく効率的な育種を通じて、より美しく病害などに強い新品種の開発を加速することが期待される。

＜関連情報＞

シクラメン・ペルシカムの高連続性ゲノムアセンブリによる機能ゲノミクスと育種の加速 A highly contiguous genome assembly of Cyclamen persicum to accelerate functional genomics and breeding

Kenta Shirasawa, Yusuke Akita, Yuki Mizunoe, Takejiro Takamura
DNA Research Published:13 October 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/dnares/dsag015

Abstract

Cyclamen is an economically important ornamental plant widely cultivated for its diverse floral characteristics and adaptation to cool climates. Despite its horticultural significance, genomic resources for this species remain limited, hindering molecular studies and genomics-assisted breeding. Here, we report the first highly contiguous nuclear genome assembly of C. persicum generated using high-fidelity long-read sequencing. The assembled genome spans 1.48 Gb, consisting of 126 contigs with an N50 length of 52.3 Mb. Telomeric repeat analysis identified 8 contigs containing telomeric sequences at both ends, suggesting the presence of near-complete chromosome assemblies. Genome completeness assessment using BUSCO indicated 98.1% completeness. Repetitive sequences occupied 82.9% of the assembly, with long terminal repeat retrotransposons accounting for 42.1% of the genome. A total of 40,223 protein-coding genes were predicted, with a complete BUSCO score of 95.7%. Comparative orthogroup analysis with 5 representative eudicot species identified 430 orthogroups specific to C. persicum and 363 orthogroups shared exclusively between C. persicum and Primula kwangtungensis, indicating the presence of both lineage-specific and Primulaceae-conserved gene families. These findings provide critical insights into gene family evolution within Primulaceae and establish an essential comparative framework for future genomic studies. The genome resource presented here provides an invaluable foundation for investigating genome evolution, gene function, and trait-associated loci in cyclamen, effectively facilitating molecular breeding and genetic improvement in this ornamental species.