A species unique to China—The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Eomecon chionantha Hance and phylogenetic relationships analysis

Abstract

Eomecon chionantha Hance (EC) is a unique species in China with high medicinal value. Ethnic minorities in China, such as the Miao and Tujia ethnic groups, have a long history of using blood herbs for treatment, and EC has been used for this purpose for centuries. However, despite its long history of use, we have no knowledge of the chloroplast genome of EC Therefore, this study reports EC's complete chloroplast genome information to better develop and protect this unique plant species in China. The complete chloroplast genomic information indicates that EC's chloroplast DNA (CPDNA) (178,808 bp) contains 99 protein-coding genes, including 8 rRNAs, 37 tRNAs. We have discovered 54 SSRs, most of which are single nucleotide adenine-thymidine (A-T) repeats. Comparative analysis of codons, repeats, and genomic sequences have found that the CPDNA of EC is highly conserved. According to our phylogenetic tree results, EC is closely related to four species. Through K2-P analysis, we have identified five hypervariable regions, including ycf4-cemA, ycf3-trnS-GGA, trnC-GCA-petN, rpl32-trnL-UAG, and psbI-trnS-UGA. In summary, this study has reported, for the first time, the complete chloroplast genome of the unique single genus plant EC in China. This provides a more scientific basis for further development and utilization of this species and is conducive to an in-depth understanding of plant species diversity from a genomic perspective.