Integrative Multi-Omics and Environmental Analysis: Linking Transcriptomics, Soil Chemistry, and Microbial Communities to Trunking Performance in Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.)
| dc.contributor.author | Fifi Hafizzah Binti Pendi | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-05-08T08:50:36Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026 | |
| dc.description | The substantial starch yield produced in the pith of Metroxylon sagu Rottb. palm has established it as a key staple crop in Malaysia and Indonesia. Thriving in marginal peatlands with minimal maintenance, sago palm holds promise as a sustainable supplement to other starch-producing crops. However, the occurrence of non-trunking (dwarf, trunkless) palms in plantations create instability in sago starch production. While research largely focused on non-trunking palms, trunking sago palms remain understudied, particularly in relation to the peat soils they inhabit. This thesis addresses these gaps by integrating transcriptomic, peat soil physicochemical and microbial perspectives to elucidate the mechanisms underpinning trunk formation of sago palm. Leaf RNA-seq generated a total of 85.61 Gb clean data, identifying 6,119 differentially expressed genes. Functional characterisation revealed coordinated molecular mechanism that supports persistent growth and trunk development. Functional enrichment of the upregulated genes were linked to stress response and genome stability pathways, including protective chaperone activity (CSP1), protein homeostasis (ATL5), DNA repair (Zip4), and chromatin organisation (RanBP2-type zinc finger proteins). The upregulation of PHO1 mediated phosphate uptake and ABA-responsive stomatal regulation to ensure continuous assimilate synthesis and resilience under heat stress, while AGO10 safeguarded transcriptional balance Sequestration of excess phosphate by vacuole complemented this buffering system thus maintaining osmotic stability. Conversely, the downregulated lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis redirected resources toward vascular initiation, meristem activity, and carbohydrate accumulation while maintaining vertical growth. Soil analysis showed acidic and low carbon content properties, with trunking sago palms benefitting from slightly lower nutrient concentrations that minimised ionic antagonism at roots for uptake. In contrast, ionic disequilibrium at non-trunking sago palm soils impaired photosynthesis efficiency and nutrient turnover. Microbial profiling revealed higher levels of Desulfobacterota and Nitrospirota (Thermodesulfovibrio) in trunking sago palm soils contributes to enhanced nitrogen and sulphur cycling and reduced heavy metal stress, while fungal communities across all soil samples was dominated by taxa such as Ascomycota and Basidiomycota Together, these findings suggest trunking palms exhibit better environmental adaptation, mediated by synergistic regulation of macronutrient availability and hormone signalling that fine-tunes sago palm growth trajectories. Through this integrated molecular and soil studies, the work provides an insight underpinning plant developmental plasticity and provides understanding for sustainable sago cultivation and food security in tropical peatland ecosystems. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://scholarhub.unimas.my/handle/123456789/680 | |
| dc.language.iso | English | |
| dc.publisher | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | Faculty of Resource Science and Technology | |
| dc.subject | Agriculture, | |
| dc.title | Integrative Multi-Omics and Environmental Analysis: Linking Transcriptomics, Soil Chemistry, and Microbial Communities to Trunking Performance in Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) | |
| dc.type | PhD |