Draft genome sequence of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p> <jats:italic>Hevea brasiliensis,</jats:italic> a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is the major commercial source of natural rubber (NR). NR is a latex polymer with high elasticity, flexibility, and resilience that has played a critical role in the world economy since 1876.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Here, we report the draft genome sequence of <jats:italic>H. brasiliensis</jats:italic>. The assembly spans ~1.1 Gb of the estimated 2.15 Gb haploid genome. Overall, ~78% of the genome was identified as repetitive DNA. Gene prediction shows 68,955 gene models, of which 12.7% are unique to <jats:italic>Hevea</jats:italic>. Most of the key genes associated with rubber biosynthesis, rubberwood formation, disease resistance, and allergenicity have been identified.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>The knowledge gained from this genome sequence will aid in the future development of high-yielding clones to keep up with the ever increasing need for natural rubber.</jats:p> </jats:sec>