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. 2025 Jul 7;262(2):42.
doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04762-6.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the iconic South American mandacaru cactus (Cereus jamacaru DC, Tribe Cereeae, Cactaceae)

Danilo T Amaral #  1 , Cassandra Trier #  2 , Dario Copetti  2 , Fernando F Franco  3 , Evandro M Moraes  4
Affiliations

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the iconic South American mandacaru cactus (Cereus jamacaru DC, Tribe Cereeae, Cactaceae)

Danilo T Amaral et al. Planta. .

Abstract

We present the first high-quality, chromosome-level genome of Cereus jamacaru, enabling evolutionary studies, conservation efforts, and exploration of its economic potential within the Cactaceae family. The Cactaceae plants are remarkable for their drought-adapted traits and the extraordinary radiation across arid and semi-arid regions of the Americas. Despite their evolutionary, ecological, cultural, and economic importance, high-quality genomic resources are available for only three North American species. Here, we present a chromosome-level reference genome for the mandacaru cactus Cereus jamacaru, an iconic species from northeastern Brazil. This is the first reference genome for a cactus species endemic to South America, offering an invaluable resource for investigating the evolution, economic potential, and conservation of this and related taxa.

Keywords: Cereus jamacaru; Evolution; Gene duplication; Genome assembly; cpDNA; mtDNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial interests that could have influenced the submitted work.

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References

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