The complete telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet

Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet, a resilient tropical legume critical for sustainable agriculture, is prized for its adaptability, nutritional richness, and drought tolerance. Here, we present the first telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome assembly of Lablab purpureus (L.) cv. Linghu integrating PacBio HiFi sequencing, ultra-long Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) reads, and Hi-C scaffolding. The complete assembly spanning 460.76 Mb with contig N50 of 40.3 Mb resolved all the gaps, telomeres, and centromeres across the 11 chromosomes. We annotated 29,280 protein-coding genes, with functional roles assigned to 90.3% of genes. Repetitive elements constitute 38.38% of the genome, dominated by long terminal repeat retrotransposons (31.14%). Crucially, we resolved all centromeres (1.42-6.97 Mb) and telomeres, addressing pervasive gaps and mis-assemblies in prior assemblies. Rigorous validation using Merqury, CRAQ, and BUSCO confirmed exceptional assembly accuracy and continuity. This T2T genome provides an unparalleled resource for functional genomics in L. purpureus, enabling precise exploration of stress adaptation, nutrient biosynthesis, and yield-related traits. It further establishes a gold-standard reference for comparative legume genomics and molecular breeding in understudied crops.