Introduction
Vachellia tortilis subsp. raddiana (Savi) Brenan is a keystone species of arid and semi-arid ecosystems across Africa and the Middle East, where it contributes significantly to ecosystem stability and local livelihoods (Hnini et al. 2023). Its ecological success relies on strong adaptive traits, including a deep root system and efficient hydraulic functioning, enabling survival under extremely low precipitation regimes (20–200 mm annually) (Abdallah et al. 2012). Beyond its ecological role, the species is also recognized for its richness in bioactive secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins which support its widespread use in traditional medicine (Akapo et al. 2025). However, despite this dual ecological and pharmacological importance, genomic resources for V. tortilis remain limited. This gap constrains our understanding of both its associated microbiota and the biosynthetic pathways underlying its metabolic potential, highlighting the need for integrative genomic approaches. In this context, we report the genome sequence of V. t. subsp. raddiana, providing a foundational resource for future studies in conservation genomics and biotechnological valorization.
Methods
Leaf tissue was collected from a wild tree in Morocco. DNA extraction was performed using the Qiagen DNEasy genomic extraction kit using the standard process. Paired-end sequencing libraries were constructed using the Illumina TruSeq kit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The libraries were sequenced on an Illumina Hi-Seq platform in paired-end, 2 × 150bp format. The resulting fastq files were trimmed of adapter/primer sequences and low-quality regions with Trimmomatic v0.33 (Bolger et al. 2014). The trimmed sequence was assembled by SPAdes v3.15.4 (Bankevich et al. 2012) followed by a finishing step using Zanfona (Kieras et al. 2021).
Data Availability
The genome assembly size was 234.6 MB with 16,879 scaffolds/contigs, and 35.5% GC.
Funding
Funding was provided by Iridian Genomes, grant# IRGEN_RG_2021-1345 Genomic Studies of Eukaryotic Taxa.