2024Journal articleFree to read
Kawahara Y, Tanaka J, Takayama K, Wako T, Ogino A, Yamashita S, Taniguchi F
Plant & cell physiology
Japanese green tea, an essential beverage in Japanese culture, is characterized by the initial steaming of freshly harvested leaves during production. This process efficiently inactivates endogenous enzymes such as polyphenol oxidases, resulting in the production of sencha, gyokuro and matcha that preserves the vibrant green color of young leaves. Although genome sequences of several tea cultivars and germplasms have been published, no reference genome sequences are available for Japanese green tea cultivars. Here, we constructed a reference genome sequence of the cultivar 'Seimei', which is used to produce high-quality Japanese green tea. Using the PacBio HiFi and Hi-C technologies for chromosome-scale genome assembly, we obtained 15 chromosome sequences with a total genome size of 3.1 Gb and an N50 of 214.9 Mb. By analyzing the genomic diversity of 23 Japanese tea cultivars and lines, including the leading green tea cultivars 'Yabukita' and 'Saemidori', it was revealed that several candidate genes could be related to the characteristics of Japanese green tea. The reference genome of 'Seimei' and information on genomic diversity of Japanese green tea cultivars should provide crucial information for effective breeding of such cultivars in the future.
Abstract text comes from PubMed, OpenAlex or Europe PMC and belongs to the authors and publisher.
Study type
Food science / processing
Making, milling, storing or using matcha in foods.
Assigned automatically from the title, abstract and subject terms.
Topics
Matcha is mentioned in passing here (named in the abstract).
Kawahara Y, Tanaka J, Takayama K, Wako T, Ogino A, Yamashita S, Taniguchi F. (2024). Chromosome-Scale Genome Assembly and Characterization of Top-Quality Japanese Green Tea Cultivar 'Seimei'. Plant & cell physiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcae060
DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcae060 · PubMed ID: 38807462 · Cited by 7 (OpenAlex)
Matcha green tea (Camellia sinensis), which originates from Japan, is commonly considered as particularly beneficial to health. A large content of polyphenols, amino acids (mainly tannins) and caffeine potentially increase the antioxidant…
Agronomy / cultivationAntioxidants and polyphenolsL-theanine and caffeineCultivation and shadingCited 124×Monitoring chlorophyll during Tencha (the raw ingredient for matcha) processing is critical for determining the matcha's color and quality. The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism of chlorophyll changes during Tencha…
Chemical / analyticalCultivation and shadingProcessing, milling and qualityAuthenticity and analytical methodsCited 91×Black net shade treatment attenuates flavonoid biosynthesis in tea plants, while the effect of light quality is still unclear. We investigated the flavonoid and transcriptome profiles of tea leaves under different light conditions, using…
Agronomy / cultivationAntioxidants and polyphenolsCultivation and shadingProcessing, milling and qualityCited 78×High-quality tea leaves are required for matcha production. Shading is one of the key agronomic practices that can increase the quality of green tea. The objectives among matcha tea producers include increasing the ammonia and chlorophyll…
Agronomy / cultivationAntioxidants and polyphenolsL-theanine and caffeineCultivation and shadingCited 42×