| Orchids, constituting approximately 10% of all
seed plant species, have enormous value for commercial horticulture, and are of specific
scientific interest because of their spectacular flowers, ecological adaptations and
secondary metabolites. Dendrobium is the third largest genus of Orchidaceae and contains
approximately 1,450 species, characterised by a fleshy stem with abundant polysaccharides
and growing in diverse habitats. A draft genome sequence of Dendrobium officinale Kimura &
Migo has been reported before but the highly fragmented assembly and the presence of
multiple peaks in K-mer analyses, suggesting that its sequence is likely derived from an
artificial hybrid, seriously complicate correct interpretation of the genome. To complement
the lack of a high quality, well assembled genome sequence for Dendrobium, we here present
the genome of D. catenatum Lindl., a lithophytic orchid found in subtropical and temperate
regions and commonly used as a health food in many Asian countries. Analysis of the D.
catenatum genome sequence offers insights into flower development and polysaccharide
synthesis, as well as its wide distribution.
“The
Dendrobium catenatum Lindl. genome sequence provides insights into polysaccharide
synthase, floral development and adaptive evolution”. Cai et al. 2016. Scientific
Report.
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