Chinese scientists have mapped the genome sequencing of mangoes, providing a reference for its evolution and cultivation.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences and other institutes generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly of mangoes and indicated the occurrence of a whole-genome duplication event in mangoes about 33 million years ago.

They found the genes that may have provided adaptive advantages to cope with sharp decreases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperatures.

The research also found the genes associated with the biosynthesis of urushiol, a unique substance in mangoes that can cause allergic reactions in the human body.

Mapping of the genome started in 2014 and the findings will help improve mango germplasm resources research and molecular design breeding, according to the academy.

The research was published in the journal Genome Biology.

(Cover image via VCG)

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