The Malaysian Palm Oil Board and Orion Genomics Complete the Sequencing and
Analysis of Three Oil Palm Genomes
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and ST. LOUIS, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Malaysian
Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Orion Genomics today announced that a consortium
co-led by the Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre of MPOB and Orion
Genomics has sequenced three oil palm genomes from two oil palm species, an
important food and biofuel crop. This genome sequencing effort provides a
comprehensive genetic blueprint of E. oleifera and E.guineensis including the
pisifera and dura palms. In commercial seed production, the pisifera is
frequently used as the paternal line and the dura serves as the maternal palm.
Oil palm plantations on average produce 3.9 tons of oil per hectare per year,
nearly ten times more than other productive oil bearing crops. Therefore, it
has the potential to meet growing demand for food and renewable fuel. Used in
cooking oil, margarine, baked goods and other foods, palm oil is the most
consumed edible oil in the world. It feeds more than 3 billion people in 150
countries worldwide, and it is also a common ingredient in soaps and
cosmetics. In 2008, Malaysia produced 17.7 million tons of crude palm oil and
exported RM65.2 billion (US $17.6 billion) of palm oil products. New
technologies are now enabling palm oil to be transformed into biodiesel, a
promising renewable fuel.
The oil palm family has two species, the E. guineensis which originates from
Africa and the E. oleifera, which is native to South America. Because of its
high productivity, the E. guineensis is the commercial variety planted in
Malaysia. However, the E. oleifera has many interesting traits such as low
height increment, increased resistance to disease and produces higher
quantities of unsaturated fats - traits that will add value if incorporated
into commercial E. guineensis lines.
"Knowledge of the genomic sequence of these oil palm varieties enables
researchers to understand genetic differences between trees that are, for
example, higher yielding or more resistant to disease than usual," said Datuk
Dr. Mohd Basri Wahid, the Director-General of MPOB. "Our goal in completing
the oil palm genome sequence is to dramatically improve oil yields both for
the production of food, feed and fuel."
The consortium included St. Louis, Missouri-based Orion Genomics, MOgene LC
and The Genome Center at Washington University, South Korea-based Macrogen
Inc., and Adelaide, Australia-based GeneWorks Pty Ltd. In addition to
sequencing and assembling the genomes of the three oil palm varieties, the
consortium sequenced the expressed genes (or transcriptome) from multiple
tissue types for all three types of oil palm. Transcriptome sequence will aid
oil palm researchers as they seek to understand the genes responsible for
yield, disease resistance and resistance to environmental stress. The
initiative generated the most comprehensive genetic and transcriptional maps
to date of this important crop.
MPOB and Orion, along with MOgene, LC, also unveiled plans to study the
epigenetic makeup of oil palm in 2010 in an effort to improve yields.
"Epigenetics is the study of the pattern of chemical groups that influence
whether specific genes are turned on or off," said Nathan Lakey, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Orion Genomics. "We theorize that by studying oil
palm epigenetics, we may be able to help speed the development of varieties of
oil palm that produce more oil, rapidly increasing the per acre efficiency of
this crop, which already is the single largest producer of edible oils
worldwide."
About Epigenetics
Epigenetics consist of, among other things, changes to a layer of information
written on top of the DNA molecule in the form of DNA methylation. DNA
methylation controls whether or not a gene is turned on or off, also called
gene silencing. Epigenetic changes can be associated with differences in
agronomic traits between crop plants that are genetically identical, including
differences in disease and environmental stress resistance and crop yield.
About MPOB
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) was established on May 1, 2000 with the
principal objective of promoting, developing and advancing the Malaysian palm
oil industry. As the steward of the nation's palm oil industry, MPOB is
responsible for providing the scientific and technological support to the
Malaysian palm oil industry. MPOB's commitment to the industry is not limited
to Research and Development (R & D), but also encompasses dissemination of
information, technology transfer, commercialization, registration, licensing
and enforcement activities.
About Orion Genomics
Orion Genomics, the Second Code Company, develops epigenetic research tools
and molecular diagnostic products to fulfill the promise of personalized
medicine. Orion's lead product is a simple blood-based test that is being
developed to identify people at elevated risk for colorectal cancer. The
company has active biomarker discovery programs in cancers of the bladder,
breast, lung, ovaries and colon, and the company offers genomics services to
the medical, agricultural and bio-fuels research communities. Orion Genomics
is located in the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis. For more
information, visit the Orion Genomics website at http://www.oriongenomics.com.
About Macrogen
Macrogen is a Korean bio-venture company established in 1997. As a leading
biotechnology company, Macrogen has provided high-quality DNA sequencing
service to more than 10,000 researchers in over 100 countries worldwide with
sequencing platforms such as 3730xl, GAIIx, SOLiD3, and GS-FLX. It also has
subsidiary laboratories in USA, Japan, and Netherlands for more localized and
customized service. Macrogen fully sequenced and annotated the whole genome of
a Korean individual, which was published in Nature on 20th August, 2009. NGS
(Next Generation Sequencing) and capillary sequencing platforms were combined
to accomplish the project. With these accumulated experiences, Macrogen has
shown its successful performances in numerous large scale sequencing projects.
In addition, Macrogen has also launched 'Asian 100 Genome Project' in June
this year to identify Asian specific markers related to diseases. For more
information, visit the website of Macrogen Inc. at www.macrogen.com.
SOURCE Orion Genomics
Carolyn Hawley of Porter Novelli Life Sciences, +1-619-849-5375,
chawley@pnlifesciences.com, for Orion Genomics
