# High-quality genome assembly and linkage map for a rapidly evolving plant species: Silene uniflora

## TL;DR

This paper provides a high-quality genome assembly and linkage map for Silene uniflora, a plant species useful for studying rapid adaptation and evolution.

## Contribution

The study presents a chromosome-scale genome assembly and linkage map for Silene uniflora, revealing widespread genome rearrangements in the genus.

## Key findings

- A 1,268 Mb genome assembly with a scaffold N50 of 40.72 Mb was generated for Silene uniflora.
- The genome contains 41,603 protein-coding genes with a BUSCO completeness score of 91%.
- Genome comparisons reveal widespread rearrangements in the Silene genus, suggesting a role in evolutionary processes.

## Abstract

The genus Silene is an important model system for fields as diverse as sex chromosome evolution, speciation, and disease ecology. However, genomic resources remain scarce in the genus. Here, we present a near chromosome-scale genome assembly and high-density linkage map for S. uniflora, a hermaphroditic/gynodioecious species which is an important model for rapid adaptation to anthropogenic disturbance and the role of phenotypic plasticity in adaptive evolution. Using a combination of long-read and Hi-C sequencing technologies, we generated a 1,268 Mb genome assembly with a scaffold N50 of 40.72 Mb and 682 Mb assembled into 12 chromosomes. We annotated the genome using evidence from transcriptome and protein mapping in combination with ab initio gene prediction, resulting in 41,603 protein-coding genes and a BUSCO completeness score of 91%. We also present a linkage map which we used to validate the genome assembly and estimate local recombination rate across the genome. Comparison to the only 2 other Silene species with chromosome-scale genome assemblies reveals widespread genome rearrangements in the genus, suggesting Silene may be a promising study system for the role of genome rearrangement in evolution, particularly in the evolution of sex chromosomes and adaptation.