Chromosomal‐level reference genome of the incense tree Aquilaria sinensis

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData Accessibility: The raw genome and RNA sequencing data have been deposited in the SRA under Bioproject numbers SRR10737433 and PRJNA534170. The final chromosome assembly was submitted to NCBI Assembly under accession number VZPZ00000000 in NCBI.Trees in the genus Aquilaria (Thymelaeaceae) are known as lign aloes, and are native to the forests of southeast Asia. Lign aloes produce agarwood as an antimicrobial defence. Agarwood has a long history of cultural and medicinal use, and is of considerable commercial value. However, due to habitat destruction and over collection, lign aloes are threatened in the wild. We present a chromosomal‐level assembly for Aquilaria sinensis, a lign aloe endemic to China known as the incense tree, based on Illumina short‐read, 10X Genomics linked‐read, and Hi‐C sequencing data. Our 783.8Mbp A. sinensis genome assembly is of high physical contiguity, with a scaffold N50 of 87.6Mbp, and high completeness, with a 95.8% BUSCO score for eudicotyledon genes. We include 17 transcriptomes from various plant tissues, providing a total of 35,965 gene models. We reveal the first complete set of genes involved in sesquiterpenoid production, plant defence, and agarwood production for the genus Aquilaria, including genes involved in the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenoids via the mevalonic acid (MVA), 1‐deoxy‐D‐xylulose‐5‐phosphate (DXP), and methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways. We perform a detailed repeat content analysis, revealing that transposable elements account for ~61% of the genome, with major contributions from gypsy‐like and copia‐like LTR retroelements. We also provide a comparative analysis of repeat content across sequenced species in the order Malvales. Our study reveals the first chromosomal‐level genome assembly for a tree in the genus Aquilaria and provides an unprecedented opportunity to address a variety of applied, genomic and evolutionary questions in the Thymelaeaceae more widely.Chinese University of Hong KongAgriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC

Ganoderma lucidum mycelium and spore extracts as natural adjuvants for immunotherapy

Objectives: Ganoderma lucidum (GL) is one of the most commonly used Chinese herbs in the oriental community, with more than 30% of pediatric cancer patients taking GL. The immunomodulating and anticancer effects exerted by GL extracts have been demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo studies. There was, however, no comparison between the immunomodulating effects of GL mycelium extract (GL-M) and spore extracts on human immune cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells and their role in DC-based tumor vaccine has been well defined. The possibility of GL as natural adjuvant for human DCs remains unknown. Design: This study explored the differential effect of GL-M and GL spore extract (GL-S) on proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokine mRNA expression of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and monocytes. Their effects on the phenotypic and functional maturation of human monocyte-derived DCs were also investigated. Results: GL-M induced the proliferation of PBMCs and monocytes, whereas GL-S showed a mild suppressive effect. Both extracts could stimulate Th1 and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, but GL-M was a relatively stronger Th1 stimulator. Different from GL-S, GL-M enhanced maturation of DCs in terms of upregulation of CD40, CD80, and CD86, and also reduced fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran endocytosis. Interestingly, GL-M-treated DCs only modestly enhanced lymphocyte proliferation in allogenic mixed lymphocyte culture with mild enhancement in Th development. Conclusion: These findings provide evidences that GL-M has immunomodulating effects on human immune cells and therefore can be used as a natural adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy with DCs. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.link_to_subscribed_fulltex