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Background: Scutellaria, a sub-cosmopolitan genus, stands as one of the Lamiaceae family's largest genera, encompassing approximately 500 species found in both temperate and tropical montane regions. Recognized for its significant medicinal properties, this genus has garnered attention as a research focus, showcasing anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective qualities. Additionally, it finds application in agriculture and horticulture. Comprehending Scutellaria's taxonomy is pivotal for its effective utilization and conservation. However, the current taxonomic frameworks, primarily based on morphological characteristics, are inadequate. Despite several phylogenetic studies, the species relationships and delimitations remain ambiguous, leaving the genus without a stable and reliable classification system. Results: This study analyzed 234 complete chloroplast genomes, comprising 220 new and 14 previously published sequences across 206 species, subspecies, and varieties worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using six data matrices through Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference, resulting in a robustly supported phylogenetic framework for Scutellaria. We propose three subgenera, recommending the elevation of Section Anaspis to subgeneric rank and the merging of Sections Lupulinaria and Apeltanthus. The circumscription of Subgenus Apeltanthus and Section Perilomia needs to be reconsidered. Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes highlighted the IR/SC boundary feature as a significant taxonomic indicator. We identified a total of 758 SSRs, 558 longer repetitive sequences, and ten highly variable regions, including trnK–rps16, trnC–petN, petN–psbM, accD–psaI, petA–psbJ, rpl32–trnL, ccsA–ndhD, rps15–ycf1, ndhF, and ycf1. These findings serve as valuable references for future research on species identification, phylogeny, and population genetics. Conclusions: The phylogeny of Scutellaria, based on the most comprehensive sample collection to date and complete chloroplast genome analysis, has significantly enhanced our understanding of its infrageneric relationships. The extensive examination of chloroplast genome characteristics establishes a solid foundation for the future development and utilization of Scutellaria, an important medicinal plant globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nekemias grossedentata (N. grossedentata) is a medicinal and edible plant. The young leaves and tender stems are specifically utilized to manufacture vine tea, which is traditionally employed in the treatment of conditions such as the common cold fever, sore throat, jaundice hepatitis, and other ailments. The morphologically of N. grossedentata similar to Nekemias cantoniensis (N. cantoniensis) and Nekemias megalophylla (N. megalophylla), which lead to a chaotic market supply. Numerious studies have confirmed that chloroplast genomes and chromatography play important role in plant classification. Here, the whole chloroplast (cp) genomes of the three Nekemias species were sequenced in Illumina sequencing platform. Meanwhile, their chromatographic fingerprints have constructed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The annotation results demonstrated that the three chloroplast genomes were typical quadripartite structures, with lengths of 162,147 bp (N. grossedentata), 161,981 bp (N. megalophylla), and 162,500 bp (N. cantoniensis), respectively. A total of 89 (N. grossedentata) /86 (N. megalophylla and N. cantoniensis) protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA gene and 8 rRNA genes were annotated. The IR/SC boundary regions were relatively conserved across the three species, although three regions (rps19-rpl2, rpl32-trnL-UAG, ccsA-ndhD) exhibited nucleotide diversity values (Pi) of variable sites higher than 1%. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that N. grossedentata had a closer genetic relationship with N. megalophylla than that of N. cantoniensis. Moreover, the chromatographic fingerprints revealed that the main functional components and genetic relatedness of three species were highly similar with their morphological results. In conclusion, N. grossedentata and N. megalophylla can be consider as the origin plants of vine tea. This study provides appropriate information for species identification, phylogeny, quality assessment of three medicinal plants of the genus Nekemias and will contribute to the standardization of vine tea raw materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicago lupulina L. possesses a complex of valuable economic and biological traits: high adaptive ability to climatic and edaphic growing conditions, good nutrition and digestibility of green mass. The aim of this work was to study the chloroplast genome, which is associated with plant defense responses of M. lupulina L. var. vulgaris Koch, cultivar-population VIK32, line MlS-1, which is highly responsive to mycorrhization and forms a highly effective symbiosis with salt-sensitive strain Sinorhizobium meliloti L6-AK89. The studied complete chloroplast genome is a double-stranded circular DNA molecule of 118340 bp in length with an average GC composition of 34.18%. Short inverted repeats (IRa and IRb), presumably involved in chloroplast replication processes, are 1.8 times shorter in M. lupulina VIK32 than in M. lupulinaNC_042847. Two extended regions 12501 and 5001 bp in length, presumably introduced due to HGT, and the 7 regions containing short sequences showed similarity to sequences of 260 viruses (Identity 78–96%, E-value 5 × 10–33–4 × 10–3) were identified. In addition, a number of deletions, insertions, and SNPs are significantly differentiate the chloroplast genomes at the interspecies level, this suggestion requires further investigation. The cpDNA of the M. lupulina VIK32 was shown to be phylogenetically closely related to cpDNA of M. lupulinaNC_042847 and M. minima, but it was the most divergent from the putative common Medicago-Melilotus-Glycine ancestral cpDNA sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Justicia L. is the largest genus in Acanthaceae Juss. and widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Previous phylogenetic studies have proposed a general phylogenetic framework for Justicia based on several molecular markers. However, their studies were mainly focused on resolution of phylogenetic issues of Justicia in Africa, Australia and South America due to limited sampling from Asia. Additionally, although Justicia plants are of high medical and ornamental values, little research on its genetics was reported. Therefore, to improve the understanding of its genomic structure and relationships among Asian Justicia plants, we sequenced complete chloroplast (cp.) genomes of 12 Asian plants and combined with the previously published cp. genome of Justicia leptostachya Hemsl. for further comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses. Results: All the cp. genomes exhibit a typical quadripartite structure without genomic rearrangement and gene loss. Their sizes range from 148,374 to 151,739 bp, including a large single copy (LSC, 81,434–83,676 bp), a small single copy (SSC, 16,833–17,507 bp) and two inverted repeats (IR, 24,947–25,549 bp). GC contents range from 38.1 to 38.4%. All the plastomes contain 114 genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNAs and 4 rRNAs. IR variation and repetitive sequences analyses both indicated that Justicia grossa C. B. Clarke is different from other Justicia species because its lengths of ndhF and ycf1 in IRs are shorter than others and it is richest in SSRs and dispersed repeats. The ycf1 gene was identified as the candidate DNA barcode for the genus Justicia. Our phylogenetic results showed that Justicia is a polyphyletic group, which is consistent with previous studies. Among them, J. grossa belongs to subtribe Tetramerinae of tribe Justicieae while the other Justicia members belong to subtribe Justiciinae. Therefore, based on morphological and molecular evidence, J. grossa should be undoubtedly recognized as a new genus. Interestingly, the evolutionary history of Justicia was discovered to be congruent with the morphology evolution. Conclusion: Our study not only elucidates basic features of Justicia whole plastomes, but also sheds light on interspecific relationships of Asian Justicia plants for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pinus is the largest genus of Pinaceae and the most primitive group of modern genera. Pines have become the focus of many molecular evolution studies because of their wide use and ecological significance. However, due to the lack of complete chloroplast genome data, the evolutionary relationship and classification of pines are still controversial. With the development of new generation sequencing technology, sequence data of pines are becoming abundant. Here, we systematically analyzed and summarized the chloroplast genomes of 33 published pine species. Results: Generally, pines chloroplast genome structure showed strong conservation and high similarity. The chloroplast genome length ranged from 114,082 to 121,530 bp with similar positions and arrangements of all genes, while the GC content ranged from 38.45 to 39.00%. Reverse repeats showed a shrinking evolutionary trend, with IRa/IRb length ranging from 267 to 495 bp. A total of 3,205 microsatellite sequences and 5,436 repeats were detected in the studied species chloroplasts. Additionally, two hypervariable regions were assessed, providing potential molecular markers for future phylogenetic studies and population genetics. Through the phylogenetic analysis of complete chloroplast genomes, we offered novel opinions on the genus traditional evolutionary theory and classification. Conclusion: We compared and analyzed the chloroplast genomes of 33 pine species, verified the traditional evolutionary theory and classification, and reclassified some controversial species classification. This study is helpful in analyzing the evolution, genetic structure, and the development of chloroplast DNA markers in Pinus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Houpoea belongs to the family Magnoliaceae, and the species in this genus have important medicinal values. However, the investigation of the correlation between the evolution of the genus and its phylogeny has been severely hampered by the unknown range of species within the genus and the paucity of research on its chloroplast genome. Thus, we selected three species of Houpoea: Houpoea officinalis var officinalis (OO), Houpoea officinalis var. biloba (OB), and Houpoea rostrata (R). With lengths of 160,153 bp (OO), 160,011 bp (OB), and 160,070 bp (R), respectively, the whole chloroplast genomes (CPGs) of these three Houpoea plants were acquired via Illumina sequencing technology, and the findings were annotated and evaluated. These three chloroplast genomes were revealed by the annotation findings to be typical tetrads. A total of 131, 132, and 120 different genes were annotated. The CPGs of the three species had 52, 47, and 56 repeat sequences, which were primarily found in the ycf2 gene. A useful tool for identifying species is the approximately 170 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) that have been found. The border area of the reverse repetition region (IR) was studied, and it was shown that across the three Houpoea plants, it is highly conservative, with only changes between H. rostrata and the other two plants observed. Numerous highly variable areas (rps3-rps19, rpl32-trnL, ycf1, ccsA, etc.) have the potential to serve as the barcode label for Houpoea, according to an examination of mVISTA and nucleotide diversity (Pi). Phylogenetic relation indicates that Houpoea is a monophyletic taxon, and its genus range and systematic position are consistent with the Magnoliaceae system of Sima Yongkang-Lu Shugang, including five species and varieties of H. officinalis var. officinalis, H. rostrata, H. officinalis var. biloba, Houpoea obovate, and Houpoea tripetala, which evolved and differentiated from the ancestors of Houpoea to the present Houpoea in the above order. This study provides valuable information on the genus Houpoea, enriches the CPG information on Houpoea genus, and provides genetic resources for the further classification of and phylogenetic research on Houpoea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae similis flos are important components in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with precious medicinal value. However, the absence of studies on their chloroplast genomes and chromatography has considerably hindered the study of their evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of Lonicera acuminata Wall. and Lonicera similis Hemsl. were sequenced using the Illumina sequencing platform and compared with that of Lonicera japonica Thunb., which has been previously reported. Furthermore, the chromatographic fingerprints of the three plants were constructed using HPLC and the content of quality marker (Q-Marker) was calculated. The annotation results showed that the two chloroplast genomes were typical quadripartite structures with lengths of 155,330 bp (L. acuminata) and 155,207 bp (L. similis). A total of 126 different genes were annotated, containing 82 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The expansion and contraction of the inverted repeat (IR) regions suggested that the boundary regions of IR/SC were comparatively conserved in the three species, and six regions (trnH-GUG-psbA, rps2-rpoC2, rbcL-psaI, trnN-GUU-ndhF, rps15-ycf1, and infA) with nucleotide diversity values (Pi) of variable sites higher than 1% were identified. Phylogenetic relation indicated that L. similis had a closer genetic relationship with L. japonica than L. acuminata. Additionally, the chromatographic fingerprints showed that the characteristic peaks of the three medicinal plants were similar, including Neochlorogenic acid, Chlorogenic acid, 4-Dicaffeoylquinic acid, Sweroside, Secoxyloganin, Luteoloside, Isochlorogenic acid A, Isochlorogenic acid B, and Isochlorogenic acid C. The content of chlorogenic acid and total phenolic acid in L. acuminata (7.4633 ± 0.4461%, 14.8953 ± 0.0728%) and L. similis (14.1055 ± 0.2566%, 21.9782 ± 0.1331%) was much higher than that of L. japonica (3.9729 ± 0.0928%, 6.0964 ± 0.1228%), respectively. This study provides appropriate information for species identification, phylogeny, quality assessment, and rational use of three medicinal plants of the genus Lonicera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For this investigation, the chloroplast genome of Saccharina sp. ye-E from Russia was uncovered and annotated with Illumina sequencing data to examine the phylogenetic relationship of Saccharina in Laminariaceae from a molecular biology perspective. Analysis of the structural characteristics, simple repeat sequence (SSR) loci, relative species differences, codon preference, and phylogenetic relationships was conducted. The results revealed that the chloroplast genome of Saccharina sp. ye-E had a length of 130,624 bp, containing 139 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 6 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and 57 transfer RNAs (tRNAs) genes, and a total GC content of 31.1%. There were 15 SSR loci in the genome. Effective codon number (ENC) and codon adaptation index (CAI) both indicated the strong codon randomness and codon preference. The phylogenetic tree, based on the complete chloroplast genomes of 10 brown algae, showed that four species of Saccharina genus formed a clade, with Saccharina sp. ye-E and Saccharina latissimi having the most related genetic affinity. It is believed that the determination of the chloroplast genome of Saccharina sp. ye-E will be beneficial for future algal genetics evolution and systematic studies in the Laminariaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

canthocalyx alba is a common medicinal plant in Tibetan of China, and there are few reports on its whole chloroplast genome now. In order to reveal basic characteristics of the whole chloroplast genome of A. alba and explore its phylogeographic structure, ten individuals from five wild populations were sequenced by Illumina sequencing platform. After assembly and annotation, ten complete chloroplast genome sequences were obtained. Moreover, genome characteristics and phylogenetic relationships were explored. The results were as follows:(1)The complete chloroplast genomes of A. alba were 155 335-156 266 bp. A total of 113 genes were annotated, including 72 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. The chloroplast genome was highly conserved in species in terms of size, structure, GC content and gene composition.(2)Genomic comparative analysis showed that the fragments with large variation were located in the single copy region, and there was no obvious expansion and contraction at the IR boundaries.(3)Analysis of population genetics revealed rich genetic diversity in the wild populations and significant geographic structure, and there were certain relationships between genetic distances and geographic distances. This study lays the foundation for studies on population genetics and phylogenomics of species in Acanthocalyx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carpesium abrotanoides L. is a widely used medicinal plant in China belonging to the tribe Inuleae of Family Asteraceae. Here, we determined the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of C. abrotanoides and conducted a comparative analysis with closely related species from tribe Inuleae. The cp genome of C. abrotanoides exhibited a typical quadripartite structure with a full length of 151,394 bp, containing a total number of 133 genes. The gene order and GC content were highly consistent in the Inuleae plants according to the comparative analysis results. The number of potential RNA editing sites in 20 protein-coding genes of Inuleae species ranged from 43 in Inula hupehensis to 51 in Inula racemosa. In addition, 41 SSRs and 40 long repeats have been identified in the cp genomes of C. abrotanoides, exhibiting significant differences with that from other Inuleae plants. Six potential hotspots with high Pi values were identified among C. abrotanoides and other Inuleae species, including three intergenic spacer regions, two tRNA regions and one protein-coding region(ycf1). Furthermore, five pairs of primers targeting the divergence regions were accordingly designed, providing potential molecular markers for population genetic investigations in Inuleae species. The phylogenetic analysis based on conserved chloroplast protein coding genes revealed a sister relationship between C. abrotanoides and three Inula species with strong bootstrap support, indicating a close relationship between the two genera. This study enhanced the understanding of the evolution of Carpesium within the tribe Inuleae, identified several nucleotide diversity hotspots and provided the comparative information on the chloroplast genome, which could contribute to the molecular species discrimination and phylogenetic studies of Inuleae plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinojackia microcarpa is a kind of endangered species distributed in several places in China. In this study, we sequenced the chloroplast genome of S. microcarpa using the Illumina NovaSeq PE150 platform. The generated chloroplast genome sequence was 158,740 bp in length containing a pair of identical inverted repeats (IR) regions of 26,090 bp separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 88,006 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,554 bp. The chloroplast genome contained 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes.The cp genome comparison between different species of Sinojackia revealed that the complete chloroplast genomes were very conserved between different species. Different kinds of SSRs and oligonucleotide repeats were identified in our study, which could be used to identify species or genus. Further, the phylogenetic trees using complete chloroplast genomes, trnL, matK and rbcL genes sequences constructed a genetic relationship between Styracaceae, rbcL was proved to be a suitable DNA barcoding marker used to analyze the phylogenetic relationship of Styracaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited access to genetic information has greatly hindered our understanding of the molecular evolution, phylogeny, and differentiation time of subg. Amygdalus. This study reported complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of subg. Amygdalus, which further enriched the available valuable resources of complete cp genomes of higher plants and deepened our understanding of the divergence time and phylogenetic relationships of subg. Amygdalus. Results: The results showed that subg. Amygdalus species exhibited a tetrad structure with sizes ranging from 157,736 bp (P. kansuensis) to 158,971 bp (P. davidiana), a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRa/IRb) that ranged from 26,137–26,467 bp, a large single-copy region that ranged from 85,757–86,608 bp, and a small single-copy region that ranged from 19,020–19,133 bp. The average GC content of the complete cp genomes in the 12 species was 36.80%. We found that the structure of the subg. Amygdalus complete cp genomes was highly conserved, and the 12 subg. Amygdalus species had an rps19 pseudogene. There was not rearrangement of the complete cp genome in the 12 subg. Amygdalus species. All 12 subg. Amygdalus species clustered into one clade based on both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood. The divergence time analyses based on the complete cp genome sequences showed that subg. Amygdalus species diverged approximately 15.65 Mya. Conclusion: Our results provide data on the genomic structure of subg. Amygdalus and elucidates their phylogenetic relationships and divergence time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Poor phylogenetic resolution and inconsistency of gene trees are major complications when attempting to construct trees of life for various groups of organisms. In this study, we addressed these issues in analyses of the genus Carpinus (hornbeams) of the Betulaceae. We assembled and annotated the chloroplast (cp) genomes (plastomes) of nine hornbeams representing main clades previously distinguished in this genus. All nine plastomes are highly conserved, with four regions, and about 158–160 kb long, including 121–123 genes. Phylogenetic analyses of whole plastome sequences, noncoding sequences, and the well‐aligned coding genes resulted in high resolution of the sampled species in contrast to the failure based on a few cpDNA markers. Phylogenetic relationships in a few clades based only on the coding genes are slightly inconsistent with those based on the noncoding and total plastome datasets. Moreover, these plastome trees are highly incongruent with those based on bi‐parentally inherited internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence variations. Such high inconsistencies suggest widespread occurrence of incomplete lineage sorting and hybrid introgression during diversification of these hornbeams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Populus L. has been divided into five sections based on morphological characters, but the phylogenetic relationships among sections remain uncertain. Topological discrepancies have been reported between trees obtained using nuclear and plastid sequences. We selected nine chloroplast genomes from all five sections, including two new sequenced species in this study for analyses of maternal phylogenetic relationships in the genus Populus at the sectional level. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using various subsets of data, coding sequences, noncoding sequences, and different districts of the genome, yielding contradictory outcomes for various subsets. According to our phylogenetic analyses, (1) a robust maternal phylogenetic relationship among sections based on complete chloroplast genomes was obtained; (2) Sect. Tacamahaca can be divided into two clades based on maternally inherited loci, i.e. cladeⅠ, distributed in North America and northeast China, and cladeⅡ, distributed in southwest China; (3) SSC-noncoding regions revealed an inconsistent topology compared with all other subsets; (4) this discrepancy may be resulted from incomplete lineage sorting between species of Populus . We tested multiple partitioning schemes to resolve deep-level phylogenetic relationships in Populus , and complete noncoding subset is most recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence ofDendrobium nobile, an endangered and traditional Chinese medicine with important economic value, is presented in this article. The total genome size is 150,793 bp, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (84,939 bp) and a small single copy region (SSC) (13,310 bp) which were separated by two inverted repeat (IRs) regions (26,272 bp). The overall GC contents of the plastid genome were 38.8%. In total, 130 unique genes were annotated and they were consisted of 76 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. Fourteen genes contained one or two introns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence ofClematis fuscavar.coreana, an endemic plant in Korea, was determined. The genome size is 159,609 bp in length, with 38% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 31,039 bp is separated by a large single copy (LSC) and a small single copy (SSC) of 79,478 bp and 18,053 bp, respectively. The complete cp genome contains 112 unique genes, including 79 coding genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 29 tRNA genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of the Oriental white oak:Quercus alienaBlume, the first sequenced member of the sectionQuercus, is reported in this study. The length of cp genome size is 160,921 bp, with 36.9% GC content. A pair of 25,841 bp inverted repeat regions (IRs) is separated by a 90,258 bp large single copy region (LSC) and an 18,980 bp small single copy region (SSC). This genome contains 115 unique genes, including 89 coding genes, four rRNA genes, and 39 tRNA genes. Border analysis of cp genome ofQuercus alienaand other 10 most closely related cp genomes revealed that most Fagaceae species have high similarity either in structure or distribution of these genes except forTrigonobalanus doichangensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome ofCampanula takesimana, an endemic species to Korea, was determined in this study. The total genome size was 169,551 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 29,742 bp, which were separated by large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) of 102,320 and 7747, respectively. The overall GC contents of the plastid genome were 38.8%. 131 genes were annotated, including 87 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. In these genes, 17 genes contained one or two introns. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complete chloroplast genome ofHanabusaya asiatica, an endemic genus to Korea, was determined in this study. The total genome size was 167,287 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,877 bp, which were separated by large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) of 104,955 and 8578, respectively. The overall GC contents of the plastid genome were 38.8%. One hundred and twelve unique genes were annotated, including 78 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. In these genes, 17 genes contained 1 intron, and 2 genes comprised of 2 introns. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Growing amounts of genomic data and more efficient assembly tools advance organelle genomics at an unprecedented scale. Genomic resources are increasingly used for phylogenetic analyses of many plant species, but are less frequently used to investigate within-species variability and phylogeography. In this study, we investigated genetic diversity of Fagus sylvatica, an important broadleaved tree species of European forests, based on complete chloroplast genomes of 18 individuals sampled widely across the species distribution. Our results confirm the hypothesis of a low cpDNA diversity in European beech. The chloroplast genome size was remarkably stable (158,428 ± 37 bp). The polymorphic markers, 12 microsatellites (SSR), four SNPs and one indel, were found only in the single copy regions, while inverted repeat regions were monomorphic both in terms of length and sequence, suggesting highly efficient suppression of mutation. The within-individual analysis of polymorphisms showed >9k of markers which were proportionally present in gene and non-gene areas. However, an investigation of the frequency of alternate alleles revealed that the source of this diversity originated likely from nuclear-encoded plastome remnants (NUPTs). Phylogeographic and Mantel correlation analysis based on the complete chloroplast genomes exhibited clustering of individuals according to geographic distance in the first distance class, suggesting that the novel markers and in particular the cpSSRs could provide a more detailed picture of beech population structure in Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Plastomes of two edible Allium species of subg. Amerallium were sequenced. • The A. paradoxum plastome differs markedly from other sequenced onion species. • A. paradoxum has long inversion in the SSC region and has lost all NADH-genes. • Shade-loving nature of A. paradoxum and loss of ndh genes could be interrelated. In this work the complete chloroplast DNAs of Allium paradoxum and Allium ursinum , two edible species of Allium subg. Amerallium (the first lineage), were sequenced, assembled, annotated, and compared with complete Allium plastomes of the second and third evolutionary lines from GenBank database. The A. ursinum plastome contains 90 predicted genes (81 unique) including 5 pseudogenes, while A. paradoxum has 88 predicted genes (79 unique) including 19 pseudogenes. The comparative analysis has revealed that the A. paradoxum plastome differs markedly from those of other species. Due to many deletions, the A. paradoxum plastome is the shortest of known for Allium species, being only 145,819 bp long. The most prominent distinctions are (1) a 4825 bp long local inversion that spans from the ndhE to the rpl32 gene in the small single copy region and (2) pseudogenization, or the loss of all NADH -genes. In contrast, the plastome of A. ursinum – a species from the first evolutionary line (as well as A. paradoxum) – resembles the Allium species of the second and third evolutionary lines, showing no large rearrangements or discrepancies in gene content. It is unclear yet whether only A. paradoxum was affected by some evolutionary events or its close relatives from both sect. Briseis and other sections of Amerallium were altered as well. We speculate the sunlight-intolerant, shade-loving nature of A. paradoxum and the impairment of the ndh genes in its plastome could be interrelated phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We first report the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Fritillaria taipaiensis and determine its characteristics, sequence divergence and phylogenetic relationships by comparing it with complete cp genomes of Liliaceae s.l. (including e.g. Nartheciaceae, Amaryllidaceae and Asparagaceae) species obtained from NCBI Genbank. We show that the ycf1, ycf15 and infA genes have become pseudogenes or are lost in some of the seventeen Liliaceae species, and that dispersed repeats are prevailing among the four types of repeats (dispersed, palindromic, complement and tandem repeats). The number of simple sequence repeats ranged from 53 to 84 in the seventeen species, with mononucleotide repeats being the most abundant, followed by dinucleotides. A total of nine genes with positive selection sites were identified (atpB, atpE, ndhF, ndhH, petB, rpl2, rpl20, rpl22 and ycf2). Furthermore, we examined 19 mutational hotspot regions, including three coding regions (rps16, infA and rpl22) and sixteen non‐coding regions. A phylogenetic analysis of the complete cp genomes and protein‐coding sequences showed that Fritillaria is most closely related to Lilium. Moreover, Asparagus and Polygonatum, Hosta and Yucca are closely related to the Liliaceae. These results will contribute to further study of evolutionary patterns and phylogenetic relationships in Liliaceae s.l. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete nucleotide sequence ofJuglans regiachloroplast genome (cpDNA) was carried out using Illumina Hiseq 2500. The genome is 160 537 bp in length, and the overall base composition of H-strand is 31.59% for A, 18.35% for C, 17.76% for G and 32.30% for T. Similar to the other higher plants, cpDNA have a large single copy (LSC) region of 90 059 bp and a small single copy(SSC) of 18 412 bp, is separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) of 26 033 bp. There are 113 genes in the cpDNA, including 80 protein-coding genes, 4 ribosomal RNA genes (4 rRNA species), 36 transfer RNA genes (19 tRNA species). To further investigate the evolution status ofJ. regiain the level of chloroplast genome, tree constructed using MEGA 6.0 with NJ and ML methord demonstratedJ. regiawas clustered inFagales, which was identical with APG III. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complete chloroplast genome ofKolkwitzia amabilis(Caprifoliaceae) is first presented in the current study. The cp genome ofK. amabiliswas 156 875 bp in length and composed of two short inverted repeat (IRa and IRb) regions of 23 946 bp which were separated by a small single copy (SSC) region of 18 846 bp and a large single copy (LSC) region of 90 137 bp. The genome encoded 130 genes contained 81 coding genes, 39 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall AT content ofK. amabilisis 61.6% and the corresponding values of the SSC, LSC and IR regions are 66.8%, 64.1%, and 57.3%, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis based on the maximum parsimony tree revealed thatK. amabiliswas closely related toLonicera japonica. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Quercus baroniiis an endemic species to China. The total length of theQ. baroniichloroplast genome is 161 072 bp. It exhibits typical quadripartite structure, composed of two copies of inverted repeat (IR) regions (25 843 bp), large single copy (LSC) region (90 341 bp), and small single copy (SSC) region (19 045 bp). The genome contains 134 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 40 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed its relationship with reportedQuercusL. species. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, complete chloroplast genome ofSolanum nigrum, a wild relative of potato and tomato being important for its medicinal features, was sequenced. The genome size is 154 671 bp in length, with 40% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats, IRa and IRSb, were separated by a large single-copy region and a small single-copy region of 82 315 bp and 33 411 bp, respectively. The genome harbored 73 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and three rRNA genes. The evolutionary relationships in our phylogenetic analysis revealed thatS. nigrumis closer toS. tuberosumwhen compared with those of known relatives’ species belonging toSolanumgenus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complete chloroplast genome ofViola seoulensis, an endemic species to Korea, was determined in this study. The total genome size was 156 507 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26 404 bp, which were separated by large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) of 85 691 and 18 008 bp, respectively. The overall GC contents of the plastid genome were 36.3%. One hundred and thirty genes were annotated, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. In these genes, 17 genes contained one or two introns. A phylogenetic tree showed that Violaceae was closely related to Salicaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complete chloroplast genome ofCastanopsis concinna(Champion ex Bentham) A. de Candolle, an endemic species to Hong Kong and southeastern China, was determined in this study. Due to logging, historical habitat loss, and fragmentation, conservation efforts forC. concinnaare becoming increasingly urgent as the species is now known from only a handful of locations. To aid efforts to preserve and propagate the speciesex situ, knowledge on the distribution of genetic diversity in the remaining populations is crucial. Here we report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of one individual collected in Hong Kong in 2014. The total genome size was 160 606 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25 677 bp, which were separated by a large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) of 90 368 and 18 884 bp, respectively. The overall GC content of the plastid genome was 36.8%. 136 genes were annotated, including 82 protein-coding genes, 46 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. In these genes, 13 contained one or two introns. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complete nucleotide sequence ofPinus tabuliformischloroplast genome (cpDNA) was carried out using Illumina Hiseq 2500. The genome is 119 646 bp in length, and the overall base composition of H-strand is 30.6% for A, 19.3% for C, 19.2% for G and 30.9% for T. There are 116 genes in the cpDNA, including 74 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes (four rRNA species), and 36 transfer RNA genes (20 tRNA species). Phylogenetic analyses ofP. tabuliformisand other 12 species belonging toPinaleswere carried out using MEGA 6.0 with Neighbor-Joining methods. The sequences ofP. tabuliformiswere clustered in subfamilyPinaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Brassica junceaL. is the second most important edible oil seed crop of India. In the current study, we report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Indian mustard,Brassica junceaL. The size of the complete chloroplast genome was found to be 153 483 bp long with an overall GC content of 36.36%. A large single copy (LSC) region of 83 286 bp and a short single copy region (SSC) region of 17 775 bp were separated by a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26 211 bp. A total of 113 unique genes were annotated, which includes 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Either one or two introns were present in nine protein-coding genes and six tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis with the complete chloroplast genomes of other related species revealed thatB. junceais much closer toBrassica rapa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast sequence ofOstrya rehderianais 159 347 bp in length, containing 85 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 31 transfer RNA genes. The circular genome exhibits a typical chloroplast genome structure comprising a large single copy region of 88 552 bp, a small single copy region of 18 941 bp and a pair of inverted repeats of 25 927 bp. The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome is 36.5%. Phylogenetic analysis ofO. rehderianasequence together with 12 complete chloroplast genomes revealed a basal placement ofO. rehderianawithin the Fagales species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome ofMorinda officinalis, an endangered and important Chinese medicine with great economic value, has been sequenced in this article. The genome size is 153 398 bp in length, with 38.05% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 51 834 bp) are separated by a large single copy region (LSC, 83 996 bp) and a small single copy region (SSC, 17 566 bp). The chloroplast genome contains 103 unique genes, 80 protein-coding genes, 19 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. In these genes, 8 genes contained 1 intron, and 2 genes comprised of 2 introns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome ofCurcuma flaviflora, a medicinal plant in Southeast Asia, was sequenced. The genome size was 160 478 bp in length, with 36.3% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26 946 bp were separated by a large single copy (LSC) of 88 008 bp and a small single copy (SSC) of 18 578 bp, respectively. The cp genome contained 132 annotated genes, including 79 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. And 19 of these genes were duplicated in inverted repeat regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence ofAnoectochilus emeiensis, an extremely endangered medical plant with important economic value, was determined and characterized. The genome size was 152 650 bp, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) (26 319 bp) which were separated by a large single copy (LSC) (82 670 bp) and a small single copy (SSC) (17 342 bp). The cpDNA ofA. emeiensiscontained 113 unique genes, including 79 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. Among them, 18 genes contained one or two introns. The overall AT content of the genome was 63.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast sequence ofAlocasia macrorrhizosis 154 995 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats of 25 944 bp separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 87 366 bp and 15 741 bp, respectively. The chloroplast genome encodes 132 predicted functional genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes, 18 of which are duplicated in the inverted repeat regions. In these genes, 16 genes contained single intron and two genes comprising double introns. A maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis using complete chloroplast genome revealed thatA. macrorrhizosdoes not belong to Araceae family, which infers that theA. macrorrhizosis distant from the species in Araceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have sequenced the complete chloroplast genome ofFatsia japonica, a well-known ornamental and potential medicinal plant. The complete chloroplast genome ofF. japonicais 155 613 bp in length with 62.09% AT content, has a typical quadripartite structure with large (LSC 86 487 bp) and small (SSC 17 866 bp) single-copy regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs 25 929 bp) and contains 114 unique genes with 18 genes duplicated in the IR making a total of 132 genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated the position ofF. japonicain Apiales and has the potential to facilitate a better understanding of the intergeneric relationships in the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome ofAdenophora remotiflorawas determined in this study. The total genome size was 171 724 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats of 27 437 bp, which were separated by large single copy and small single copy of 105 555 bp and 11 295 bp, respectively. The overall GC contents of the plastid genome were 38.8%. One hundred and twelve unique genes were annotated, including 78 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. In these genes, 15 genes contained one intron and 2 genes had two introns. A phylogenetic tree showed thatAdenophora remotiflorawas closely related toHanabusaya asiatica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nucleotide sequence of the chloroplast genome fromDieffenbachia seguineis the first to have complete genome sequence from genus ofDieffenbachiafamily Araceae. The genome size is 163 699 bp in length, with 36.4% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25 235 bp) is separated by a large single copy region (LSC, 90 780 bp) and a small single copy region (SSC, 22 449 bp). The chloroplast genome contains 113 unique genes, 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. In these genes, 16 genes contained single intron and two genes composed of double introns. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis using complete chloroplast genome revealed thatDieffenbachia seguinebelongs to the Araceae family of the Arecidae group, which is conform to the traditional classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome ofAndrographis paniculata, an important medicinal plant with great economic value, has been studied in this article. The genome size is 150,249 bp in length, with 38.3% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,300 bp) are separated by a large single copy region (LSC, 82,459 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 17,190 bp). The chloroplast genome contains 114 unique genes, 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. In these genes, 15 genes contained 1 intron and 3 genes comprised of 2 introns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome sequence ofChlorella sorokinianastrain (SAG 111–8 k) is presented in this study. The genome consists of circular chromosomes of 109,811 bp, which encode a total of 109 genes, including 74 proteins, 3 rRNAs and 31 tRNAs. Moreover, introns are not detected and all genes are present in single copy. The overall AT contents of theC. sorokinianacpDNA is 65.9%, the coding sequence is 59.1% and a large inverted repeat (IR) is not observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhubarb is an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine known as Rhei radix et rhizome. However, this common name refers to three different botanical species with different pharmacological effects. To facilitate the genetic identification of these three species for their more precise application in Chinese medicine we here want to provide chloroplast sequences with specific identification sites that are easy to amplify. We therefore sequenced the complete chloroplast genomes of all three species and then screened those for suitable sequences describing the three species. The length of the three chloroplast genomes ranged from 161,053 bp to 161,541 bp, with a total of 131 encoded genes including 31 tRNA, eight rRNA and 92 protein-coding sequences. The simple repeat sequence analysis indicated the differences existed in these species, phylogenetic analyses showed the chloroplast genome can be used as an ultra-barcode to distinguish the three botanical species of rhubarb, the variation of the non-coding regions is higher than that of the protein coding regions, and the variations in single-copy region are higher than that in inverted repeat. Twenty-one specific primer pairs were designed and eight specific identification sites were experimentally confirmed that can be used as special DNA barcodes for the identification of the three species based on the highly variable regions. This study provides a molecular basis for precise medicinal plant selection, and supplies the groundwork for the next investigation of the closely related Rheum species comparing and correctly identification on these important medicinal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]