Genome sequencing and comparative analysis of Ficus benghalensis and Ficus religiosa trees reveal evolutionary mechanisms of longevity

Ficus benghalensis (Indian banyan tree) and Ficus religiosa (Peepal) trees are well-known for their long lifespan, traditional significance, and medicinal properties. Therefore, to understand the genomic and evolutionary aspect of these characteristics the whole genomes of these two Ficus species were sequenced using 10x Genomics and Oxford Nanopore sequencing platforms. The draft genome assemblies of F. benghalensis (392.89 Mbp genome containing 25,016 high-confidence coding genes), and F. religiosa (332.97 Mbp genome containing 23,929 high-confidence coding genes) were constructed. We also established the genome-wide phylogenetic position of the two Ficus trees with respect to 46 other Angiosperm plant species and studied the comparative population demographic history of these two species to show a population bottleneck event ~0.8 Mya for both the species. We also identified 7,468 orthogroups across 16 phylogenetically closer Eudicot plant species including F. benghalensis and F. religiosa. Comparative evolutionary analyses using these orthogroups, gene family expansion/contraction analysis, and gene duplication analysis showed adaptive evolution in genes involved in cellular pathways and mechanisms that are central to plant growth and development and provide genomic insights into longevity and ecological significance of these large woody trees.