Department of Biology

Frankincense’s tree genomics and molecular defense responses to wound-induced tapping

Dr. Abdul L. Khan (virtual)
University of Houston

March 23, 2022
4-5pm

Hosted By Dr. Ayalew Osena

Abstract

Historically, frankincense is one the three gifts offered to the Christ by the three Wise Men and is mentioned 22 times in the Bible. This iconic product with a history dating back to the late 4th millennium B.C was behind the flourishing trade between South Arabia and rest of the world. Modern Medicine has unraveled the medicinal secrets of frankincense demonstrated by its discovered superior anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-depression properties. Despite the advances in its medicinal chemistry, its genomic and transcriptomic data remained unknown. How the trees respond to tapping and methods to improve the recovery process remain poorly understood. We reported the de novo assembled genome (667.8 Mb) comprising 18,564 high-confidence protein-encoding genes. We elucidated key signaling network-related factors by performing de novo site-specific transcriptomic, phytohormonal, and gene expression analysis of frankincense tree. Wounding immediately activates several cell developmental and regeneration processes along with defense-induced terpenoids and phytohormonal metabolism to heal damaged tissues in the epidermis. The current talk would explain these different physiological, and molecular mechanisms of wound-induced tapping responses in frankincense.