National Institute of Biological Resources in Honam Region, First Decoding of Sangdong Tree Genome

Laying the Foundation for Enhancing the Value of Native Plants Widely Distributed Along the South Coast

The National Institute of Biological Resources in the Honam Region under the Ministry of Environment (Director Ryu Tae-cheol) announced on the 15th that it has completely decoded the genome sequence of Sageretia theezans (Osbeck) M. C. Johnst., a plant distributed on islands and coastal areas of Korea.

Sageretia theezans, whose name is derived from the term ‘Saengdongmok (生冬木)’ meaning a tree that does not shed its leaves and survives through winter, mainly grows along the southern coast of Korea, including Jeju Island, Wando, and Jindo. Extracts from this tree are known to have functional properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, prevention of bone diseases, and immune enhancement.

Sangdong Tree
[Photo by National Honam Biodiversity Institute]

The National Institute of Biological Resources in the Honam Region pursued genome analysis to secure the basic genetic information of Sageretia theezans, successfully decoding the sequences of 12 chromosomes, obtaining a high-resolution reference genome of 197 megabase pairs (Mbp), and identifying 22,021 genes.

Additionally, it was found that Sageretia theezans has a significantly higher number of gene groups known to be involved in plant environmental adaptation (lectin receptor kinases) and gene groups involved in the production of loganin (loganic acid methyltransferase), which is effective in improving estrogen reduction and increased fat cells during female menopause, compared to other plant groups.

The National Institute of Biological Resources in the Honam Region plans to continue follow-up research for the conservation of plants vulnerable to climate change by utilizing the secured genome information of Sageretia theezans to compare genetic diversity and specific gene groups of plants in the Salicaceae family distributed in Korea.

Furthermore, the research results will be shared to serve as basic data for various studies, and joint research will be promoted to enhance utilization value, such as the development of functional food and pharmaceutical materials.

Yu Gang-yeol, Head of the Island Biological Research Division at the National Institute of Biological Resources in the Honam Region, stated, “Although our islands and coastal areas are rich in biological resources, the acquisition of genetic resources has been relatively slow. The National Institute of Biological Resources in the Honam Region will steadily secure high-quality genetic resources at the genome level to contribute to the establishment of national biological sovereignty.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.