Salt-secreting Mangrove Species Genome

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Last Updated11/07/2021

In a first, Scientists have reported a reference-grade whole genome sequence of a highly salt-tolerant and salt-secreting true-mangrove species, avicennia marina
This will pave the way for researchers to study the potential of the identified genes for developing drought and salinity tolerant varieties of important crop species of the coastal region

This is significant for India with 7,500 kilometres of coastline and two major island systems.

Reference genome can be understood as a photograph on a jigsaw puzzle box.
A reference genome is a digital nucleic acid sequence database, assembled by scientists as a representative example of the set of genes in one idealized individual organism of a species.
Genomic information is an extremely crucial foundation for crop improvement programs.
Accurate information is required for effective tracking of genomic variations and mapping important quantitative trait loci (QTLs).
These tasks are intrinsically dependent on the availability of a range of genetic resources and, most crucially, high-quality reference genomes.

In order to achieve efficient crop improvement, the application of accurate genetic information contained in diverse germplasm resources is essential.
Agriculture productivity globally is affected due to various factors including limited water availability and salinization of soil and water.
Dryland areas accounts for 40% of the world’s total land area. Thus Availability of water is crucial to crop production
Salinity is prevalent in 900 million hectares globally, with an estimated 6.73 million hectares in India, and it is estimated to cause an annual loss of 27 billion USD.

According to the study, the genomic resource will pave the way for researchers to study the potential of the identified genes for developing drought and salinity tolerant varieties of significant crop species of the coastal region important for India.
The study reports reference-grade genome of Avicennia marina with an estimated assembled genome size of 456.6 Mb of the 462.7 Mb (98.7% genome coverage) in 31 chromosomes.

Also Referred as grey mangrove or white mangrove,
It is a shrub or tree belonging to the Acanthaceae family that are generally 10–14 m long.
Found in all mangrove formations in India,

It is the most prominent salt-secreting mangrove species that grows optimally in 75 per cent seawater.
It is among the rare plant species that can experience stunted growth in water conditions that are too saline.
They thrive to their full height in waters where both salt and freshwater are present.
The species can tolerate high salinity by excreting salts through its leaves.
It can tolerate extreme weather conditions, high winds, along with various pests and diseases.