KUCHING: Researchers from the Centre for Sago Research (CoSAR) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) announced that they have finally finished the genome sequencing of the sago palm.
This comes some 200 years after written records first made mention of evidence of sago trade between Singapore which was a key port and trading center at the time and Mukah.
Sago palm trunks drifting in the river in the sago-producing district of Mukah in tell a tale of livelihood, sustenance, and heritage.
Sago palm is valued as highly as gold by many ethnic Melanaus who are still the main producers of sago-related goods in Malaysia.
The sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottboll) is a crop that does not require replanting. It has several applications, like as a source of food, as well as a source of building and hunting supplies for surviving and living in the forests.
The palm is regarded as one of nature’s gifts because of its superior high starch output compared to commonly found starch sources like rice, wheat and maize.
Secret of life
“We are happy to announce this milestone, especially as this year marks the 30th anniversary of Unimas,” said Professor Dr. Mohd Hasnain Hussain, director of CoSAR.
The underlying basis of the sago palm’s genetic information is somewhere among all these constructed jigsaw pieces (datasets) of the sago palm genome, he said.
“When the genomic encyclopedia for the sago palm is complete, the data from this study will have contributed to it as part of the sago’s genetic landscape. This indicates that the information from the genome sequence may be used to learn everything relating to how sago manufactures starch, reduces salt stress and fights illnesses.
“Finding the genome sequence in biology is like unlocking the code to that species’ secret to existence, especially in the field of molecular biology (sago plant in this case). We are the first to publicly disclose the sago genome sequence in history,” he added.
Behind the scenes
Three sago molecular biology research project groups had been working on genome sequencing for years at the labs housed in the Faculty of Resource Science & Technology (FRST) at the university.
These groups were directed by Professor Hasnain, Doctor Chung, and Dr. Hairul Azman Roslan.
Sago plants samples were taken and the DNA extracted from the leaves in the lab. After that, the DNA samples taken from the leaves was transmitted to independent labs so that the sago genome could be read. The faculty’s postgraduate students then analysed the genome’s raw letters to learn more about the sago’s internal workings.
“To me, this is the accomplishment of researchers working together within Unimas, for Unimas, with assistance from the sago business,” Hasnain stated.
With the use of the Illumina sequencing platform and Nanopore technology, the team was able to map the sago palm’s genome.
The investigation showed that the sago palm’s genome is thought to be 510 million base pairs in size (509,812,790 bp). It consists of over 33,000 genes, of which roughly 96.39% are protein-coding genes and have been effectively functionally identified.
The history of the sago palm was tracked to its close relative, the oil palm, which is also a well-known product in Malaysia, using the newly obtained genetic data (Elaeis guineensis).
Only around one-third of the oil palm genome’s size is found in the sago genome. But when compared to the oil palm genome, which has 34,802 protein-coding genes, the number does not significantly differ from the 33,000 genes found in sago palms.
Sago palm researchers would greatly benefit from the compactness of the sago palm genome, which would make it simpler and faster to read the underlying genetic code than with bigger genomes.
With a trunk that may reach a height of 15 meters, the sago palm is one of the rare food crops that stores starch within its trunk, making it one of the plants that produces the most starch overall.
The researchers were able to unravel the enigma of the sago palm’s great starch storage capacity using the sequenced genome.
More than one-third of the newly identified genes are thought to be actively involved in starch metabolism, according to the team’s analysis of the sago palm genome using reference genes from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database.
When compared to acid sulphate soil, sago palms grown in mineral soil produced smaller starch granules and more starch, which affected the starch growth period and harvesting time. This behavior may be considerably explained by the genome sequence.
Sago palm also uses substances that store starch to lessen the negative effects of growth inhibitors. As starch compactness in the trunk directly affects the quantity of starch harvested, here is where the starch-related genes play a vital role in maintaining optimum and adequate starch levels in the sago palm trunk.
The primary researcher, Dr. Chung Hung Hui, along with PhD candidates Leonard Lim Whye Kit and Melinda Lau Mei Lin, Professor Dr. Mohd Hasnain Hussain, and Drs. Gan Han Ming and Chung Hung Hui of Deakin University, stated that “the significant roles of these starch-associated enzymes in sago palm in determining starch yield is essentially the center of sago palm genetic research.”
The next stage would be to use genomic information to accelerate the production of more starch, similar to how commercial food crops like wheat, rice, and corn have been improved in the past.
Even better, it is possible to identify, isolate, and transplant the unique improved sago palm genes onto other crops, giving other crops similar salt tolerance and disease resistance properties to the sago palm.
This will be novel and can guarantee our need for food security.
From Unimas to the world
The Tun Openg Chair for Sago Research Chair provided complete funding for the study to sequence the sago genome.
“Since Unimas was founded 30 years ago, the Sarawak state government has been highly supportive, as was notably evident in this instance with the seed money to create Tun Openg Chair for Sago Research. We are also increasing the molecular research of the sago palm thanks to a funding from the Sarawak Research Development Council,” said Hasnain.
To follow up on the completion of the sago genome sequencing, several areas of sago palm studies, including transcriptome investigation and downstream elements of sago utilisation, are now being studied at the university in addition to the genome study.
“In addition to research in molecular biology of sago, Unimas is also actively working on research related to the added value of sago products.
“We hope to discover more from the research and transfer that knowledge to communities,” Hasnain said.
