The Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with related research institutions, established a genetic basis analysis framework for polyploid crops and unraveled the mechanism of high sugar accumulation in the parenchyma cells of sugarcane stems. The results of the related paper were published online on the 27th in the international academic journal Nature, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The research team conducted systematic re-sequencing of 981 sugarcane accessions collected from 19 major producing areas worldwide and constructed the largest sugarcane population genetic resource database to date. As a result of the research, it was found that the parenchyma cells of sugarcane stems function as 'sugar reservoirs', and their sugar content is regulated by genes.

The researchers identified key genes controlling the development of parenchyma cells in sugarcane stems, and through the development, integration, and introduction of new technologies, achieved high-precision assembly of the complex sugarcane genome, successfully constructing a high-quality haplotype-resolved genome, 'Sugarcane King' (蔗王). This provides clear molecular targets for future breeding of 'ultra-high sugar' sugarcane varieties and offers new insights for research into improving sugar crops worldwide.

These research findings have already been applied to sugarcane breeding guidance, providing important support for improving China's independent capabilities in sugarcane genetic resources and stabilizing sugar supply. Furthermore, the related technologies are expected to be applied to genome research and molecular breeding of many other polyploid crops such as wheat, cotton, and potatoes in the future. (Provided by People's Daily Online Japanese Edition / Edited by YF)