An international team of researchers led from Chile by the University of Concepción (UdeC) and involving the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), located at the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), has sequenced the genetic code of Araucaria araucana, a native Chilean species at risk of extinction with food potential. The laboratory of researcher Tomás Matus is in charge of assembling and functionally annotating this genome, eight times larger than the human genome
“Our contribution to the project led by the Plant Epigenetics Laboratory headed by Rodrigo Hasbún has as its main axis to provide the storage system of genomic information and make it available as a database for public access to the scientific community. We are currently improving the assembly of the sequences obtained through the use of 3 different sequencing platforms (Oxford Nanopore, PacBio and Illumina), as well as the annotation of the genes, in other words, we are updating the gene catalog”, explains Tomás Matus, Ramon y Cajal researcher at the University of Valencia and researcher at the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio).
Araucaria araucana, commonly called araucaria, pewen or Chilean pine, is an evergreen gymnosperm tree, native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina, popularly used as a garden tree, which can reach 50 meters and live a thousand years. Due to the prevalence of similar species in ancient prehistory, it is called a living fossil.
This species is threatened by population decline caused by logging, forest fires and grazing. Its seeds are edible, similar to large pine nuts, and are harvested by indigenous peoples in Argentina and Chile. The tree has potential to be a food crop in other areas with cool oceanic summer climates, for example, in western Scotland, where other nut crops do not grow well.
Araucaria araucana, a Chilean species at risk of extinction with food potential. Photo: UV.
This action will help to standardize protocols for detecting and monitoring the genetic diversity of species and their adaptive potential; and, as a second essential point, it will serve to integrate genetic and evolutionary knowledge into conservation planning. Once the genome is known, monitoring programs can be developed for individuals and the catalog of genes present in this genome can be obtained, which can also contribute to understanding developmental processes such as reproduction, resistance to climate change or pests. CMPC, a Chilean forestry and paper holding company, has also participated in the project.
Matus is a plant biologist and PhD in Agricultural Sciences (Pontificia Universidad de Chile), interested in the use of genomic and systems biology tools to study the regulation of developmental networks and plant metabolism. He has been a postdoc at the Center for Research in Genomics (CRAG, 2008-2013, 2015-2019) and has gained experience in omics technologies to understand flower development in model species. He joined I2SysBio through a Ramón y Cajal program contract (2019) at the Universitat de València.
Relive the participation of José Tomás Matus in the Innotransfer event at the Science Park on plant-based industry.