A refined Panax ginsengkaryotype based on an ultra-high copy 167-bp tandem repeat and ribosomal DNAs

Panax ginsengMeyer (Asian ginseng) has a large nuclear genome size of > 3.5 Gbp in haploid genome equivalent of 24 chromosomes. Tandem repeats (TRs) occupy significant portions of the genome in many plants and are often found in specific genomic loci, making them a valuable molecular cytogenetic tool in discriminating chromosomes. In an effort to understand the P. ginsenggenome structure, we characterized an ultrahigh copy 167-bp TR (Pg167TR) and explored its chromosomal distribution as well as its utility for chromosome identification.