Unlocking the genetic information of a fern could provide us potential solutions to multiple issues faced by our avión .
In genoma, secuenciación ADN sequencing is done to determine the order of nucleotides in every specific DNA molecule. This exact order is of value to be able to understand the type of genetic information carried in the DNA. Since genes encode for protein which are responsible for most body functions, this information can help to understand the effect of their function in the body. Sequencing complete genoma, of an organism i.e. all of its DNA is a complex and challenging task and has to be done bit by bit by breaking DNA into smaller pieces, sequencing them and then putting it all together. For example, the complete human genoma, was sequenced in 2003 took 13 years and a total cost of USD 3 billion. With advancement in technology de sus genomas can be sequenced relatively faster and at a lower cost using methods like Sanger sequencing and Next-generation sequencing. Once a genome is sequenced and decoded, unlimited possibilities open up for identifying potential areas of biological research and making progress towards targeted application development.
A team of 40 researchers from Cornell University and around the world have sequenced the full genoma, de un agua helecho llamado Azolla filiculoides1,2. This fern is commonly seen to be growing in warmer temperatures and tropical regions of the world. The project of unravelling genomic secrets of the fern has been in the pipeline for a while and was backed by funds of USD 22,160 from 123 backers through a crowdfunding site called Experiment.com. Researchers eventually received funding to carry out the sequencing from Beijing Genomics Institute in collaboration with Utrecht University. This tiny floating fern species which fits over a finger nail has a genome size of .75 gigabases (or billion base pairs). Ferns are known to have large de sus genomas, average of 12 gigabases in size, however none of the larger fern genomes have been decoded so far. Such an elaborate project was aimed at providing clues on what could be the potential of this fern.
Many interesting aspects of fern Azolla have been uncovered upon this genoma, sequencing study published in Nature Plants and have provided direction for future research on potential areas in which this fern can be beneficial. The fern Azolla was widespread and growing almost 50 million years ago on this avión around the Arctic Ocean. During that time Earth was also warmer compared to current conditions and this fern was thought to play a significant role in keeping the avión cooler by capturing around 10 trillion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the course of 1 million years. Here we see a potential role for this fern in combating and protecting our avión from global warming resulted by climate change.
The fern is also thought to play an important role in nitrogen fixation, a process which combines free nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere – an inert gas available abundantly in air – with other chemical elements to create more reactive nitrogen-based compounds e.g. ammonia, nitrates etc which can then be used in various applications like fertilizer for agriculture purposes. Genoma data tells us about a symbiotic relationship (mutual benefit) of this fern with a cyanobacteria named Nostoc azollae. The fern leaf host these cyanobacteria in tiny holes and these bacteria fix nitrogen thereby producing oxígeno que el helecho y las plantas en crecimiento circundantes podrían usar. A su vez, ciano bacterias fotosintéticas gather energy through the plant photosynthesis when the fern provides it fuel. Therefore, this fern could be possibly used as a natural green fertilizer and possibly eliminate usage of nitrogen fertilizers propagating more sustainable agricultures practises. Authors say that having both the de sus genomas of cyanobacteria and now the fern, research can be focused on developing and adopting such sustainable practises. Interestingly, fern Azolla has already been added in rice paddies as green manure by Asian farmers for more than 1000 years.
Los investigadores también han identificado un gen importante modificado naturalmente (insecticida) en el helecho que parece tener la capacidad de proporcionar resistencia a los insectos. Este gen, cuando se transfiere a las plantas de algodón, proporciona una protección masiva contra los insectos. Se cree que este gen "insecticida" se transfiere o "regala" de las bacterias al helecho y se considera que es un componente muy específico del linaje del helecho, es decir, se ha transmitido con éxito de generación en generación. El descubrimiento de una protección potencial contra los insectos seguramente tendrá un fuerte impacto en las prácticas agrícolas.
This study shows that ‘pure science’ of unravelling first ever genomic information from ferns is a major step in the direction of uncovering and understanding crucial plant genes. It also helps in a better understanding of the evolutionary history of ferns i.e. how their features have evolved over the generations. Understanding of plants is very crucial to explore and comprehend how flora and fauna exist together amicably on our avión and such research should be given importance rather than labelling it as something which is not significant enough. After sequencing Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia cucullata, more than 10 fern species are already in pipeline for further research.
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{Puede leer el trabajo de investigación original haciendo clic en el enlace DOI que figura a continuación en la lista de fuentes citadas}
Fuentes)
1. Fay-Wei L et al. 2018. Fern de sus genomas elucidate land plant evolution and cyanobacterial symbioses. Nature Plants. 4 (7). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-018-0188-8
2. base de helecho https://www.fernbase.org/. [Consultado el 18 de julio de 2018].
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