A team of scientists in China has assembled a telomere-to-telomere reference genome for ginseng (Panax ginseng), a representative of Chinese traditional medicine.
Overview of the morphological characteristics of ginseng (Panax ginseng). Image credit: Song et al., doi: 10.1093/hr/uhae107.
Ginseng is one of the most important medicinal plants, grown in northeast Asia including China, Korea, Siberia, and Japan, as well as a small amount in North America.
As recorded in the ancient Chinese book Shen-nong’s Herbal Classics, ginseng’s perennial root has been used for several thousand years as traditional medicine, as well as a functional food and beverage, which has physical and immunological enhancement functions.
Ginseng was collected in the wild in fields for a very long history and its cultivation commenced about 500 years ago, since when breeding started and cultivars were generally formed.
“Like other herbs, medicinal ginseng has complex metabolites that are considered effective compounds, among which triterpene saponin (ginsenoside) is the most important type,” said Dr. Wei Li from the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and colleagues.
“There are probably over a hundred ginsenosides in ginseng, but the synthetic pathways of the vast majority of ginsenosides remain unelucidated.”
In their new study, Dr. Li and co-authors assembled the telomere-to-telomere ginseng reference genome.
“Using this telomere-to-telomere reference genome, we studied the phylogeny and evolution of ginseng, along with examining the asymmetric loss and biased expression of genes between its subgenomes,” they explained.
The authors identified 77,266 protein-coding genes in the 3.45 Gb ginseng genome.
They also identified asymmetrical gene loss and biased gene expression across its subgenomes, dating their divergence to about 6.07 million years ago.
Their analysis highlights extensive gene family expansions linked to saponin biosynthesis and underscores the importance of specific gene duplications in enhancing these pathways.
A comparative genomic analysis with related species provides further insight into the evolutionary tactics ginseng employs to optimize its medicinal benefits.
“This complete assembly of the ginseng genome is a monumental achievement in botanical research,” Dr. Li said.
“It not only broadens our understanding of the genetic intricacies of medicinal plants but also introduces refined methods for cultivating ginseng varieties with superior health properties.”
“The comprehensive decoding of the ginseng genome sets the stage for precise breeding techniques aimed at boosting its medicinal efficacy.”
“This research not only has immediate applications for enhancing ginseng cultivation but also serves as a model for investigating other medicinal plants, potentially revolutionizing pharmacology and crop enhancement strategies with natural products.”
The results were publsihed in the journal Horticulture Research.
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Yiting Song et al. 2024. Telomere-to-telomere reference genome for Panax ginseng highlights the evolution of saponin biosynthesis. Horticulture Research 11 (6): uhae107; doi: 10.1093/hr/uhae107
Source : Breaking Science News