The Idesia polycarpa genome provides insights into its evolution and oil biosynthesis

The deciduous tree Idesia polycarpa can provide premium edible oil with high polyunsaturated fatty acid contents. Here, we generate its high-quality reference genome, which is ∼1.21 Gb, comprising 21 pseudochromosomes and 42,086 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic and genomic synteny analyses show that it diverged with Populus trichocarpa about 16.28 million years ago. Notably, most fatty acid biosynthesis genes are not only increased in number in its genome but are also highly expressed in the fruits. Moreover, we identify, through genome-wide association analysis and RNA sequencing, the I. polycarpa SUGAR TRANSPORTER 5 (IpSTP5) gene as a positive regulator of high oil accumulation in the fruits. Silencing of IpSTP5 by virus-induced gene silencing causes a significant reduction of oil content in the fruits, suggesting it has the potential to be used as a molecular marker to breed the high-oil-content cultivars. Our results collectively lay the foundation for breeding the elite cultivars of I. polycarpa.