Complete chloroplast genome features and phylogenetic analysis of Abies ernestii var. salouenensis (Bordères and Gaussen) W. C. Cheng and L. K. Fu from southwest China

Abstract

Abies ernestii var. salouenensis (Bordères & Gaussen) W. C. Cheng & L. K. Fu is endemic to southwest China, including the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and the northwestern Yunnan Province. The taxonomic relationships between A. ernestii var. salouenensis and two other closely related fir species (A. chensiensis Tiegh. and A. ernestii Rehd.) still need to be determined. Here, we report for the first time the whole chloroplast genome of A. ernestii var. salouenensis. Its genome is 121,759 bp long and is characterized by a circular structure with 68 peptide-encoding genes, 16 tRNAs, six ORFs, and four rRNAs. We also identified 70 microsatellite repeat sequences and 14 tandem repeat sequences in the chloroplast genome of A. ernestii var. salouenensis. Comparative genome analysis indicated considerable variation in ycf1 and ycf2. Phylogenetic analysis supported the monophyly of A. ernestii var. salouenensis, A. chensiensis Tiegh., and A. ernestii Rehd. The relationships among them should be surveyed using more samples at the species level. This study will facilitate taxonomic studies and the development of suitable chloroplast markers for fir species.

Keywords:

• Abies ernestii var. salouenensis
• comparative genome analyses
• complete chloroplast genome
• phylogenetic analysis

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the assistance of Professor Qiao-Ping Xiang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Botany with the fieldwork.

Ethics statement

All plant-related procedures in this study adhered to the Plant Use guidelines of Henan Agriculture University and the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Author contributions

Yi-Zhen Shao, Peng-Fei Zhao, and Si Wu contributed to the conception and design of the study. Yi-Zhen Shao, Zhao Wang, and Wen-Jun Liu contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data. Yi-Zhen Shao, Zhao Wang, and Wen-Jun Liu wrote the first version of the manuscript. Peng-Fei Zhao and Si Wu critically reviewed and modified the article regarding its intellectual content. All authors read, discussed, and approved the final version, and all agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest disclosed by the authors. Authors are solely responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the information.

Data availability statement

The genomic sequence data supporting the findings of this work are accessible through GenBank of NCBI at (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) with the accession number MH706708. The related BioProject, SRA, and Bio-Sample identifiers are PRJNA790665, SRP351584, and SAMN24219952.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Key Project of Science and Technology Research of Henan Province, China under Grant [number 212102110155].