Sep 2022, Vol 5
Singapore’s National Flower, Papilionanthe (Ple.) Miss Joaquim ‘Agnes’ (PMJ) is highly prized as a horticultural flower from the Orchidaceae family. A combination of short-read sequencing, single-molecule long-read sequencing and chromatin contact mapping was used to assemble the PMJ genome, spanning 2.5 Gb and 19 pseudo-chromosomal scaffolds. Genomic resources and chemical profiling provided insights towards identifying, understanding and elucidating various classes of secondary metabolite compounds synthesized by the flower. For example, presence of the anthocyanin pigments detected by chemical profiling coincides with the expression of ANTHOCYANIN SYNTHASE (ANS), an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of the former. Similarly, the presence of vandaterosides (a unique class of glycosylated organic acids with the potential to slow skin aging) discovered using chemical profiling revealed the involvement of glycosyltransferase family enzymes candidates in vandateroside biosynthesis.
Read the full paper here.
Jan 2022, Vol 14, Issue 3
Aristolochic acids (AAs) are a family of carcinogenic phytochemical compounds commonly found in plants of the Aristolochia and Asarum genera. Comprehensive genomic profiling of genitourinary and hepatobiliary cancers has highlighted the widespread prevalence of Aristolochic acid (AA) signatures in cancer patients across parts of Asia, particularly in Taiwan. The aim of our study was to determine in oro-gastrointestinal tract cancers (OGITCs), the prevalence, role and significance that AA plays as a driver of tumorigenesis as AA-containing products are commonly administered orally. This suggests a possible etiological relationship between OGITCs. However, in this study, the rarity of AA mutational signatures in OGITCs suggests that AA is unlikely to drive carcinogenesis in OGITCs through direct exposure. Our study is valuable because it shows that AA exposure is not an equal driver of tumorigenesis in different organs and represents an important piece of information in the field.
Nov 2017 Issue
Durian (Durio zibethinus) is a Southeast Asian tropical plant known for its hefty, spine-covered fruit and sulfury and onion-like odor. Here we present a draft genome assembly of D. zibethinus, representing the third plant genus in the Malvales order and first in the Helicteroideae subfamily to be sequenced.
Oct 2017, Vol 9, Issue 412
Aristolochic acid, an herbal compound found in many traditional medicines, had been previously linked to kidney failure, as well as cancers of the urinary tract. Because of these known toxicities, herbs containing this compound have been restricted or banned in some countries, but it is still available on the internet and in alternate formulations. By analyzing numerous samples from Taiwan and other countries in Asia and elsewhere, Ng et al. demonstrated the effects of aristolochic acid in hepatocellular carcinoma, a much more common tumor type. The authors showed that the use of this drug remains widespread in Asia and particularly in Taiwan, and that it appears to increase the risk of multiple different cancer types.
Aug 2013, Vol 5, Issue 197
Aristolochic acid (AA), a natural product of Aristolochia plants found in herbal remedies and health supplements, is a group 1 carcinogen that can cause nephrotoxicity and upper urinary tract urothelial cell carcinoma (UTUC). Whole-genome and exome analysis of nine AA-associated UTUCs revealed a strikingly high somatic mutation rate (150 mutations/Mb), exceeding smoking-associated lung cancer (8 mutations/Mb) and ultraviolet radiation–associated melanoma (111 mutations/Mb).
