Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species

Abstract The genus Polyscias, part of the Araliaceae family, is known for its significant ornamental and medicinal value, as well as its rich variety of metabolites. These plants are primarily found in tropical regions, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. The diverse geographical...

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Main Authors: Mingzhou Bai, Xin Yang, David H. Lorence, Kenneth R. Wood, Natalie Iwanycki Ahlstrand, Timothy W. Flynn, Shancen Zhao, Nina Rønsted, Henrik Toft Simonsen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:The Plant Genome
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20563
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author Mingzhou Bai
Xin Yang
David H. Lorence
Kenneth R. Wood
Natalie Iwanycki Ahlstrand
Timothy W. Flynn
Shancen Zhao
Nina Rønsted
Henrik Toft Simonsen
author_facet Mingzhou Bai
Xin Yang
David H. Lorence
Kenneth R. Wood
Natalie Iwanycki Ahlstrand
Timothy W. Flynn
Shancen Zhao
Nina Rønsted
Henrik Toft Simonsen
author_sort Mingzhou Bai
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The genus Polyscias, part of the Araliaceae family, is known for its significant ornamental and medicinal value, as well as its rich variety of metabolites. These plants are primarily found in tropical regions, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. The diverse geographical environments have led to the emergence of many unique and endangered species, although there is limited genomic information available about them. In this study, we generated high‐quality reference genomes for three endangered species: two that are endemic to Hawaiʻi, Polyscias cf. bisattenuata and Polyscias lallanii, and one more widespread species, Polyscias macgillivrayi. We identified a total of 51,083, 60,881, and 29,060 genes in these three species, respectively. Whole‐genome duplication analysis indicated that all three species underwent a common duplication event. By examining the phylogenetic and structural characteristics of the terpene synthase gene family in these species and closely related species, we identified several gene clusters that play crucial roles in metabolite synthesis. A variety of mono‐ and sesquiterpenoids were detected, with several of these compounds having been validated in previous studies. Our findings provide a foundation for further genetic and biochemical investigations of Polyscias, which may aid in the conservation of these endangered species.
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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spelling doaj-art-1ddc19a2257543b991ae119d4d1ac6ce2025-08-20T01:50:07ZengWileyThe Plant Genome1940-33722025-03-01181n/an/a10.1002/tpg2.20563Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these speciesMingzhou Bai0Xin Yang1David H. Lorence2Kenneth R. Wood3Natalie Iwanycki Ahlstrand4Timothy W. Flynn5Shancen Zhao6Nina Rønsted7Henrik Toft Simonsen8Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine Technical University of Denmark Lyngby DenmarkBGI‐Shenzhen Shenzhen ChinaNational Tropical Botanical Garden Kalaheo Hawaiʻi USANational Tropical Botanical Garden Kalaheo Hawaiʻi USANatural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen Copenhagen DenmarkNational Tropical Botanical Garden Kalaheo Hawaiʻi USABGI‐Shenzhen Shenzhen ChinaNational Tropical Botanical Garden Kalaheo Hawaiʻi USAUniversité Jean Monnet Saint‐Étienne, CNRS Saint‐Étienne FranceAbstract The genus Polyscias, part of the Araliaceae family, is known for its significant ornamental and medicinal value, as well as its rich variety of metabolites. These plants are primarily found in tropical regions, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. The diverse geographical environments have led to the emergence of many unique and endangered species, although there is limited genomic information available about them. In this study, we generated high‐quality reference genomes for three endangered species: two that are endemic to Hawaiʻi, Polyscias cf. bisattenuata and Polyscias lallanii, and one more widespread species, Polyscias macgillivrayi. We identified a total of 51,083, 60,881, and 29,060 genes in these three species, respectively. Whole‐genome duplication analysis indicated that all three species underwent a common duplication event. By examining the phylogenetic and structural characteristics of the terpene synthase gene family in these species and closely related species, we identified several gene clusters that play crucial roles in metabolite synthesis. A variety of mono‐ and sesquiterpenoids were detected, with several of these compounds having been validated in previous studies. Our findings provide a foundation for further genetic and biochemical investigations of Polyscias, which may aid in the conservation of these endangered species.https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20563
spellingShingle Mingzhou Bai
Xin Yang
David H. Lorence
Kenneth R. Wood
Natalie Iwanycki Ahlstrand
Timothy W. Flynn
Shancen Zhao
Nina Rønsted
Henrik Toft Simonsen
Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species
The Plant Genome
title Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species
title_full Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species
title_fullStr Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species
title_full_unstemmed Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species
title_short Genome sequencing of three Polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species
title_sort genome sequencing of three polyscias species reveals common features in terpene synthase gene family evolution in these species
url https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20563
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