Sequencing of Panax notoginseng genome reveals genes involved in disease resistance and ginsenoside biosynthesis

Authors: Fan, Guangyi and Fu, Yuanyuan and Yang, Binrui and Liu, Minghua and Zhang, He and Liang, Xinming and Shi, Chengcheng and Ma, Kailong and Wang, Jiahao and Liu, Weiqing and Shao, Libin and Huang, Chen and Guo, Min and Cai, Jing and Wong, Andrew KC and Li, CheukWing and Zhuang, Dennis and Chen, KeJi and Cong, WeiHong and Sun, Xiao and Liu, Xin and Xu, Xun and Tsui, Stephen KwokWing and Chen, Wenbin and Lee, Simon MingYuen

Background: Panax notoginseng is a traditional Chinese herb with high medicinal and economic value. There has been considerable research on the pharmacological activities of ginsenosides contained in Panax spp.; however, very little is known about the ginsenoside biosynthetic pathway. Results: We reported the first de novo genome of 2.36 Gb of sequences from P. notoginseng with 35,451 protein-encoding genes. Compared to other plants, we found notable gene family contraction of disease-resistance genes in P. notoginseng, but notable expansion for several ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter subfamilies, such as the Gpdr subfamily, indicating that ABCs might be an additional mechanism for the plant to cope with biotic stress. Combining eight transcriptomes of roots and aerial parts, we identified several key genes, their transcription factor binding sites and all their family members involved in the synthesis pathway of ginsenosides in P. notoginseng, including dammarenediol synthase, CYP716 and UGT71. Conclusions: The complete genome analysis of P. notoginseng, the first in genus Panax, will serve as an important reference sequence for improving breeding and cultivation of this important nutraceutical and medicinal but vulnerable plant species.

Journal: BioRxiv
DOI: 10.1101/362046
Year: 2018

Read publication