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Article|04 Jun 2026|OPEN
Chromosome-level genome assembly and population genomics unveil strigolactone-regulated growth adaptation in the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia elata
Zhongyi Hua1,2 , Lihong Li1 , Yuchao Chen3 , Yiying Cao4 , Wei Liu1 , Xiying Teng1 , Junhui Zhou4 and Yuyang Zhao4 , Yuan Yuan,1 ,
1State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
2School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
3Agricultural Biotechnology Center, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China
4National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
*Corresponding author. E-mail: y_yuan0732@163.com

Horticulture Research 13,
Article number: uhag099 (2026)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhag099
Views: 30

Received: 08 Oct 2025
Accepted: 09 Mar 2026
Published online: 04 Jun 2026

Abstract

Mycoheterotrophic plants rely entirely on fungal symbionts for nutrients, yet the role of intraspecific genomic variation in shaping symbiotic adaptation remains unclear. Gastrodia elata is a mycoheterotrophic orchid with multiple cultivated varieties. Here, we generated a chromosome-level genome of G. elata Bl. f. glauca. Comparative genomic analyses with published G. elata assemblies revealed extensive intraspecific variation, characterized by transposon-mediated inversions occurring in 26% of syntenic regions. Notably, these regions frequently harbored orphan genes. Population genomic analysis of 150 individuals identified three genetically distinct clades: two cultivated (Clades E and G) and one hybrid (Clade I). Transcriptomic profiling uncovered clade-specific expression patterns in symbiosis-related genes, particularly within strigolactone signaling pathways. Molecular dynamics simulations and protein interaction assays demonstrated that polymorphisms in the M domain of the suppressor protein DWARF53 (GeD53) modulate strigolactone signaling by altering the stability of its interaction with the receptor (GeD14). Specifically, a Clade G-specific haplotype enhanced signaling through stabilized protein interactions, thereby influencing tuber development genes, whereas GeD14 variants had minimal functional impact. Further co-expression networks identified LOL5, RNP1, and MTHD as downstream effectors correlating with clade-specific tuber phenotypes and carbohydrate allocation. These findings demonstrate how intraspecific variation in strigolactone signaling components drives functional divergence in G. elata, providing both mechanistic insights into mycoheterotrophic adaptation and genomic resources for future research.