Research advances in and prospects of ornamental plant genomics

The term 'ornamental plant' refers to all plants with ornamental value, which generally have beautiful flowers or special plant architectures. China is rich in ornamental plant resources and known as the mother of gardens. Genomics is the science of studying genomes and is useful for carrying out research on genome evolution, genomic variations, gene regulation, and important biological mechanisms based on detailed genome sequence information. Due to the diversity of ornamental plants and high sequencing costs, the progress of genome research on ornamental plants has been slow for a long time. With the emergence of new sequencing technologies and a reduction in costs since the whole-genome sequencing of the first ornamental plant (Prunus mume) was completed in 2012, whole-genome sequencing of more than 69 ornamental plants has been completed in <10 years. In this review, whole-genome sequencing and resequencing of ornamental plants will be discussed. We provide analysis with regard to basic data from whole-genome studies of important ornamental plants, the regulation of important ornamental traits, and application prospects.

Automated summary

Ornamental plants refer to plants with aesthetic value, and China is known for its rich ornamental plant resources. Genomics plays a crucial role in understanding genome evolution and gene regulation in ornamental plants, but progress has been slow due to the diversity and high costs associated with sequencing. However, advancements in sequencing technologies have led to the completion of whole-genome sequencing of over 69 ornamental plants in less than 10 years.