Evolution of complex genome architecture in gymnosperms

Abstract

Gymnosperms represent an ancient lineage that diverged from early spermatophytes during the Devonian. The long fossil records and low diversity in living species prove their complex evolutionary history, which included ancient radiations and massive extinctions. Due to their ultra-large genome size, the whole-genome assembly of gymnosperms has only generated in the past 10 years and is now being further expanded into more taxonomic representations. Here, we provide an overview of the publicly available gymnosperm genome resources and discuss their assembly quality and recent findings in large genome architectures. In particular, we describe the genomic features most related to changes affecting the whole genome. We also highlight new realizations relative to repetitive sequence dynamics, paleopolyploidy, and long introns. Based on the results of relevant genomic studies of gymnosperms, we suggest additional efforts should be made toward exploring the genomes of medium-sized (5-15 gigabases) species. Lastly, more comparative analyses among high-quality assemblies are needed to understand the genomic shifts and the early species diversification of seed plants.