Telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies and population resequencing of diploid and allotetraploid peanut varieties

Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally significant leguminous oil crop. Here we present telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for two diploid and four tetraploid peanut varieties, resulting in high-quality reference genomes, showing that the complex activities of transposable elements, chromosomal rearrangements and centromere expansions within subgenomes collectively contribute to the asymmetrical evolution of the tetraploid genome, and unique structural variants in the four tetraploid peanut varieties provide clear evidence of domestication. Population analyses of 521 peanut accessions revealed asymmetric selection events between subgenomes during breeding, and genome-wide association studies identified candidate genes linked to oil content, seed size and weight, kernel dehydration rate, and arachidic acid content. In addition, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed enhanced activity in lipidomic and anthocyanin biosynthetic pathways during seed development. These comprehensive findings provide insights into genome organization, evolutionary dynamics and phenotypic differentiation across peanut varieties that could inform future peanut breeding and improvement strategies.