Work

The chromosome-level genome assembly of Dryopteris fragrans reveals transposon-mediated genome evolution

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Ferns are ancient vascular plants pivotal to plant evolution research, yet genomic resources for specialist-habitat species remain scarce. Here, we present a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of Dryopteris fragrans, belonging to a basal lineage of Dryopteridaceae, and investigate its genomic evolution drivers via comparative genomics analysis. No recent whole-genome duplication was detected in D. fragrans; instead, transposable elements, the major genomic component, were identified as the primary evolutionary driver, associated with stress-responsive gene family expansion. Specifically, transposable elements shape gene structure by driving intron expansion (e.g., terpene synthase genes) and forming long-intron genes; transposable elements insertions in promoters also correlate with altered gene expression and increased alternative splicing. This study assembled a high-quality genome of a fern from Dryopteridaceae, and reveals that transposable elements may serve as potential key drivers of D. fragrans genomic evolution. Our findings advance understanding of transposable elements functions in non-seed plants. A chromosome-level genome assembly is generated for the fern Dryopteris fragrans. The findings reveal that transposon insertions have profoundly shaped gene structure and expression, highlighting their role in driving genome evolution

Source: Communications Biology

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10809-5