Six-year old trees (Eucalyptus benthamii) harvested for power generationH.D. SILVA, EMBRAPA FORESTRY
Species: Flooded gum tree (Eucalyptus grandis)
Genome size: 640 million base pairs
A team led by investigators at South Africa’s University of Pretoria today (June 11) published in Nature the first reference genome for the eudicot order Myrtales, that of Eucalyptus grandis. Within the 640-megabase genome, the researchers predicted 36,376 protein-coding genes, a third of which exist within tandem duplications, “the largest proportion thus far in plant genomes,” they wrote in their paper. The researchers also identified genes behind specialized metabolites that play roles in the plant’s defense and contribute to the production of essential oils used across a variety of industries.
“Future studies of variation in functional genes will provide insights into the relative influences of drift and selection on Eucalyptus evolution and identify ...
