Journal of Tea Science Research, 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 64-78 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/jtsr 66 1.3 Economic and cultural importance Camellia species hold significant cultural value in various regions, particularly in East Asia. In China and Japan, Camellia japonica have been celebrated in art, literature, and horticulture for centuries (Yang et al., 2013; Wu et al., 2022). Their flowers are often associated with beauty and resilience, symbolizing these virtues in cultural narratives and practices. Similarly, the Camellia sinensis holds deep cultural significance in countries such as China, India, and Japan, where tea ceremony and related traditions are deeply rooted in the social and cultural fabric (Wei et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2022). The economic value of Camellia species is substantial, with applications in the production of tea, ornamental plants, and edible oils. Camellia sinensis is perhaps the most economically valuable, as it is the primary source of tea, one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. The tea industry generates significant revenue and provides livelihoods for millions of people in tea-producing countries. Beyond its use in tea production, Camellia sinensis also has applications in traditional medicine and cosmetics, attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (Wei et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2022). Camellia oleifera is another economically valuable species. Its seeds can produce high-quality tea oil, which is rich in unsaturated fats and antioxidants. This oil is also used in cosmetics and skincare products (Wu et al., 2022). The genetic and genomic research on Camellia species has the potential to enhance their economic value by improving breeding programs and developing new varieties with desirable traits (Yan et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2021). 2 Genomic Approaches inCamelliaResearch 2.1 Genomic technologies High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies, also known as next-generation sequencing (NGS), have revolutionized genomic research by enabling the rapid and cost-effective sequencing of entire genomes. In Camellia research, HTS technologies such as Illumina sequencing, Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, and Oxford Nanopore sequencing are widely used. These technologies facilitate the assembly of high-quality reference genomes, identification of genetic variants, and comprehensive analysis of gene expression patterns (Zhang et al., 2020). Illumina sequencing technology has been extensively used to sequence complete chloroplast genomes of various Camellia species, providing valuable phylogenetic information and aiding in species identification (Yang et al., 2013; Huang et al., 2014). Additionally, both Illumina and PacBio sequencing technologies have been employed to generate high-quality genome assemblies, such as the chromosome-level genome sequence of Camellia chekiangoleosa Hu (CCH). The study evaluated the genome size of CCH using two methods, generating 51.09 Gb of PacBio HiFi reads (approximately 19-fold genome coverage) and 283.40 Gb of Illumina Hi-C reads (approximately 102-fold genome coverage). Using the hifiasm software for assembly, a 2.73 Gb CCH genome was obtained, covering 97.40% of the scaffolds and consisting of 15 pseudochromosomes (scaffold N50 = 185.30 Mb) (Figure 1) (Shen et al., 2022). These studies have facilitated the study of tea oil biosynthesis and tea quality traits, respectively (Wei et al., 2018; Shen et al., 2022). Bioinformatics tools and techniques are crucial for processing and analyzing the vast amounts of data generated by HTS. Several bioinformatics tools and techniques are employed in Camellia genomic research to ensure accurate data interpretation. For instance, PCR-based product sequencing and de novo assembly methods have been used to validate genome assemblies and identify genetic variations in Camellia species (Yang et al., 2013; Huang et al., 2014). Furthermore, bioinformatics pipelines have been developed to process raw HTS reads, generate consensus sequences, and recover alleles from heterozygous regions, which are essential for phylogenetic analyses and understanding evolutionary patterns (Uribe-Convers et al., 2016).
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