Chromosome-level genome assembly of the fully mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia elata.

Gastrodia elata, an obligate mycoheterotrophic orchid, requires complete carbon and mineral nutrient supplementation from mycorrhizal fungi during its entire life cycle. Although full mycoheterotrophy occurs most often in the Orchidaceae family, no chromosome-level reference genome from this group has been assembled to date. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of G. elata, using Illumina and PacBio sequencing methods with Hi-C technique. The assembled genome size was found to be 1045 Mb, with an N50 of 50.6 Mb and 488 scaffolds. A total of 935 complete (64.9%) matches to the 1440 embryophyte Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs were identified in this genome assembly. Hi-C scaffolding of the assembled genome resulted in 18 pseudochromosomes, 1008 Mb in size and containing 96.5% of the scaffolds. A total of 18,844 protein-coding sequences (CDSs) were predicted in the G. elata genome, of which 15,619 CDSs (82.89%) were functionally annotated. In addition, 74.92% of the assembled genome was found to be composed of transposable elements. Phylogenetic analysis indicated a significant contraction of genes involved in various biosynthetic processes and cellular components and an expansion of genes for novel metabolic processes and mycorrhizal association. This result suggests an evolutionary adaptation of G. elata to a mycoheterotrophic lifestyle. In summary, the genomic resources generated in this study will provide a valuable reference genome for investigating the molecular mechanisms of G. elata biological functions. Furthermore, the complete G. elata genome will greatly improve our understanding of the genetics of Orchidaceae and its mycoheterotrophic evolution.

Proteomic analysis of the neuroprotective mechanisms of acupuncture treatment in a Parkinson's disease mouse model.

Acupuncture is frequently used as an alternative therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD), and it attenuates dopaminergic (DA) neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra (SN) in PD animal models. Using proteomic analysis, we investigated whether acupuncture alters protein expression in the SN to favor attenuation of neuronal degeneration. In C57BL/6 mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 30 mg/kg/day), intraperitoneal (i.p.) for 5 days, 2 or 100 Hz electroacupuncture (EA) was applied at the effective and specific acupoint, GB34, once a day for 12 consecutive days from the first MPTP treatment. Both treatments in MPTP mice led to restoration of behavioral impairment and rescued tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive DA neurodegeneration. Using peptide fingerprinting MS, we identified changes in 22 proteins in the SN following MPTP treatment, and nine of these proteins were normalized by EA. They were involved in cell death regulation, inflammation, or restoration from damage. The levels of cyclophilin A (CypA), which is a neuroprotective agent, were unchanged by MPTP treatment but were increased in MPTP-EA mice. These results suggest that acupoint GB34-specific EA changes protein expression profiles in the SN in favor of DA neuronal survival in MPTP-treated mice, and that EA treatment may be an effective therapy for PD patients.