Genomics@MetaBioSys
Reference: Genome sequencing of Ficus benghalensis (banyan) reveals adaptive evolution in secondary metabolism pathways associated with its medicinal properties. Abhisek Chakraborty, Shruti Mahajan, Manohar S. Bisht, and Vineet K. Sharma. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2023 (doi: https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpls.2023.1260414)
Abstract: Ficus benghalensis, also known as banyan, is an evergreen tree widely known for its medicinal properties and ecological significance. To understand the genomic and evolutionary basis of its medicinal properties, we sequenced the F. benghalensis genome for the first time using Oxford Nanopore and 10x Genomics sequencing technologies. The tetraploid and highly heterozygous draft genome of F. benghalensis had a total size of 709.9 Mbp with 61,195 coding genes. The phylogenetic position of F. benghalensis was established using a comprehensive genome-wide analysis including species from 18 Eudicot plant orders. The existence of neopolyploidy in F. benghalensis was evident from the higher number of coding genes and expanded gene families resulting from gene duplication events compared to other sequenced species from this genus. Comparative evolutionary analyses showed the adaptive evolution of genes involved in the phenylpropanoid-flavonoid (PF) biosynthesis pathway and other secondary metabolites biosynthesis such as terpenoid and alkaloid in F. benghalensis, along with genes involved in stress tolerance mechanisms, which was also supported by leaf transcriptome data generated in this study. The adaptive evolution of secondary metabolism pathways is associated with the wide range of pharmacological properties, specifically the anti-diabetic property, of this species conferred by the bioactive compounds that act as nutraceutical agents in modern medicine.
Data Download: NCBI BioProject accession number PRJNA982613