Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), also known as "Beauty Finger" due to its pod resembling fingers, is an annual plant in the Malvaceae family. It has high nutritional value and is known as the "King of Vegetables". As a food and medicinal homologous vegetable, okra has significant effects in anti-tumor, anti-radiation, protection of cardiovascular system, and anti-diabetes.

 

Recently, Horticulture Research published online (Advance Access) a research paper titled "The genome of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) provides insights into its genome evolution and high nutrient content" by the team from Hebei University. This study utilized technologies including PacBio HiFi and Hi-C to assemble a high-quality reference genome for the important vegetable crop okra, and for the first time identified 130 chromosomes (2n=130) in okra through karyotype and Hi-C analyses. 

 

This study elucidated the high-quality genome of okra, clarified the evolutionary status of various Malvaceae species, and systematically investigated the widespread WGD events in Malvaceae species, providing important data resources for research on the evolution of Malvaceae, functional genomics of okra, and okra variety improvement.