Genome Sequence of a Rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis

It has successfully decoded the main genome sequence for Hevea brasiliensis, a euphorbiaceous plant material for producing latex.  Bridgestone Group has been conducting basic research into molecular breeding of Hevea brasiliensis to enhance the productivity of natural rubber. To accelerate the research activities, the Group has decoded an estimated 1.4 billion bp genome for Hevea brasiliensis together with its partner. The obtained sequence data is estimated to cover more than 90% of the gene-rich regions of the genome. The genome data is expected to facilitate development of Hevea brasiliensis breeding technologies that enable the Group to develop a better breed of the plant that produce high-quality latex with good productivity. The data also accelerate research applications in a variety of fields, including the development of breed with superior disease resistance and environmental stress tolerance.