On May 13th, the reporter learned from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences that the innovative team of the Shenzhen Institute of Agricultural Genomics in the field of agricultural biology transcriptome and metabolome published the world's first complete genome of ginseng from telomere to telomere, and analyzed the formation mechanism of triterpenoid saponins, an important active ingredient of ginseng. The relevant research results were recently published in the international journal Horticultural Research. Ginseng is known as the "king of all herbs" and has important medicinal value. Triterpenoid saponins are one of its main active ingredients, which have significant protective effects on the central system and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. Li Wei, the corresponding author of the paper and a researcher at the Shenzhen Institute of Agricultural Genomics, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told reporters that ginseng belongs to allotetraploid plants with extremely complex genetic backgrounds. The research team has comprehensively applied various sequencing techniques and successfully constructed a complete ginseng genome with a integrity of up to 99.3%. In addition, researchers accurately identified 48 telomeres and predicted 24 centromeres, significantly improving the continuity, integrity, and accuracy of the ginseng genome. Based on the constructed high integrity ginseng genome, researchers have conducted in-depth exploration of the imbalanced evolution of ginseng triterpenoid saponin synthesis genes during allotetraploid formation. Research has found that tandem and proximal repeats play crucial roles in the biosynthesis of ginsenosides. Meanwhile, there is a subgenome dominance phenomenon in ginseng where one subgenome gene is more active than another subgenome gene. "This study has laid a theoretical foundation for genetic research, breeding planning, screening high-quality ginseng germplasm resources, and exploring the biosynthesis pathway of triterpenoid saponins in ginseng," said Li Wei. (Lai Xin She)