A genetically anchored physical framework for Theobroma cacao cv. Matina 1-6

Christopher A Saski, Frank A Feltus, Margaret E Staton, Barbara P Blackmon, Stephen P Ficklin, David N Kuhn, Raymond J Schnell, Howard Shapiro, Juan Carlos Motamayor

The fermented dried seeds of Theobroma cacao (cacao tree) are the main ingredient in chocolate. World cocoa production was estimated to be 3 million tons in 2010 with an annual estimated average growth rate of 2.2%. The cacao bean production industry is currently under threat from a rise in fungal diseases including black pod, frosty pod, and witches' broom. In order to address these issues, genome-sequencing efforts have been initiated recently to facilitate identification of genetic markers and genes that could be utilized to accelerate the release of robust T. cacao cultivars. However, problems inherent with assembly and resolution of distal regions of complex eukaryotic genomes, such as gaps, chimeric joins, and unresolvable repeat-induced compressions, have been unavoidably encountered with the sequencing strategies selected.