Comparative Analysis of the Chloroplast Genomes of Eight Species of the Genus Lirianthe Spach with Its Generic Delimitation Implications.

Based on Sima and Lu's system of the family Magnoliaceae, the genus Lirianthe Spach s. l. includes approximately 25 species, each with exceptional landscaping and horticultural or medical worth. Many of these plants are considered rare and are protected due to their endangered status. The limited knowledge of species within this genus and the absence of research on its chloroplast genome have greatly impeded studies on the relationship between its evolution and systematics. In this study, the chloroplast genomes of eight species from the genus Lirianthe were sequenced and analyzed, and their phylogenetic relationships with other genera of the family Magnoliaceae were also elucidated. The results showed that the chloroplast genome sizes of the eight Lirianthe species ranged from 159,548 to 159,833 bp. The genomes consisted of a large single-copy region, a small single-copy region, and a pair of inverted repeat sequences. The GC content was very similar across species. Gene annotation revealed that the chloroplast genomes contained 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes, totaling 130 genes. Codon usage analysis indicated that codon usage was highly conserved among the eight Lirianthe species. Repeat sequence analysis identified 42-49 microsatellite sequences, 16-18 tandem repeats, and 50 dispersed repeats, with microsatellite sequences being predominantly single-nucleotide repeats. DNA polymorphism analysis revealed 10 highly variable regions located in the large single-copy and small single-copy regions, among which rpl32-trnL, petA-psbJ, and trnH-psbA were the recommended candidate DNA barcodes for the genus Lirianthe species. The inverted repeat boundary regions show little variation between species and are generally conserved. The result of phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the genus Lirianthe s. l. is a monophyletic taxon and the most affinal to the genera, Talauma and Dugandiodendron, in Sima and Lu's system and revealed that the genus Lirianthe s. s. is paraphyletic and the genus Talauma s. l. polyphyletic in Xia's system, while Magnolia subsection Gwillimia is paraphyletic and subsection Blumiana polyphyletic in Figlar and Nooteboom's system. Morphological studies found noticeable differences between Lirianthe species in aspects including leaf indumentum, stipule scars, floral orientation, tepal number, tepal texture, and fruit dehiscence. In summary, this study elucidated the chloroplast genome evolution within Lirianthe and laid a foundation for further systematic and taxonomic research on this genus.

Comparitive Analysis of the Chloroplast Genomes of Three Houpoea Plants.

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.

Unraveling the Role of Lac Insects in Providing Natural Industrial Products.

In the current era, products made from organic materials enjoy a privileged position because of their inherent safety. The eco-friendly properties of natural lac resins have increased their demand in many industries. It is secreted by sucking insects (Hemiptera, Kerriidae) and comprises three major components, viz., resin, dye, and wax. Lac insects are generally bivoltine in nature and are distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions with complex multi-trophic habitats. Because of their sedentary habits, lac insects are more vulnerable to predators, parasitoids, squirrels, and rats, leading to a more than 50% reduction in production yield. To increase lac production, advanced-level molecular research is required to figure out the mechanism behind lac synthesis and secretion to improve lac yield and quality. The present review highlights metamorphosis, sexual dimorphism, multi-trophic habitat, host plants, and natural enemies of lac insects, lac composition, and applications, emphasizing the role of microbes, potential lac genes, and lac synthesis mechanisms in enhancing lac quality and production. The information provided here might be useful for lac researchers and for stakeholders aiming to make their products more eco-friendly.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Michelia balansae var. balansae (Aug. Candolle) Dandy, a timber and spices species in Magnoliaceae.

Michelia balansae var. balansae (Aug. Candolle) Dandy is a timber and spices species in Magnoliaceae, native to China and Vietnam. In this paper, the complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) and basic annotated information were reported and its phylogenetic relationship with other species in Magnoliaceae was analyzed. The size of chloroplast genome of M. balansae var. balansae is 160,134 bp, which exhibited a typical quadripartite structure comprising a large single-copy (LSC) region of 88,161 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,845 bp separated by a pair identical inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,564 bp each. The chloroplast genome contains 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that M. balansae var. balansae is most affinal to M. montana and they form a nomophyletic group with other 14 Michelia species. This Michelia clade is sister to the Aromadendron clade with high support. All genera mentioned in this analysis are nomophyletic under the system of Magnoliaceae by Sima and Lu.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Magnolia maudiae.

The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Magnolia maudiae was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 160,205 bp in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 88,249 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,806 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 26,575 bp. The genome contains 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. Further phylogenomic analysis showed that M. maudiae was close to Magnolia odora and Magnolia laevifolia in Magnolia genus.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Magnolia delavayi (Magnoliaceae), a rare ornamental and medical tree endemic to China.

Magnolia delavayi is a rare, famous ornamental and important medical tree endemic to China. Here, we assembled the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of M. delavayi. Its length is 159,715 bp with four sub-regions: 87,906 bp of large single-copy region and 18,761 bp of small single-copy region are separated by two inverted repeats regions, each 26,524 bp. The genome contains 77 protein-coding genes, 6 rRNAs, and 29 tRNAs genes. Phylogenetic analysis of cp genome of M. delavayi with previously reported chloroplast genomes in Magnolia shows that M. delavayi is close to M. odoratissima with high bootstrap value.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Michelia wilsonii: an endangered species in China.

The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Michelia wilsonii was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 160,100 bp in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 88,162 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,786 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 26,576 bp. The genome contains 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. Further phylogenomic analysis showed that M. wilsonii closed to Michelia odora and Michelia yunnanensis in Michelieae tribe of the Magnoliaceae family.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Michelia floribunda.

The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Michelia floribunda was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 160,049 bp in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 88,140 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,773 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 26,568 bp. The genome contains 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. Further phylogenomic analysis showed that M. floribunda was closely related to Michelia yunnanensis in Michelieae tribe.

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lirianthe coco (Loureiro) N. H. Xia & C. Y. Wu (Magnoliaceae), a popular ornamental species.

Lirianthe coco (Loureiro) N. H. Xia & C. Y. Wu is a popular ornamental species of Magnoliaceae. In the present study, the complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) of L. coco was sequenced, assembled, and analyzed. The results indicated that the size of chloroplast genome of L. coco is 159,828 bp, which exhibits a typical quadripartite structure including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,958 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,768 bp separated by a pair of identical inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,551 bp each. The genome contained 131 genes (113 unique), including 86 protein-coding genes (80 unique), 37 tRNA genes (29 unique), and 8 rRNA genes (4 unique). Phylogenetic analysis showed that L. coco is affinal to L. odoratissima and forms a nomophyletic group with the latter and L. delavayi.

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Michelia champaca var. champaca Linnaeus, an ornamental tree species of Magnoliaceae.

Michelia champaca var. champaca is an ornamentally important tree in Magnoliaceae. The paper reported the complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) of M. champaca var. champaca and its basic annotated information. The size of cpDNA is 160,008 bp, with a typical quadripartite structure of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 88,037 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,809 bp separated by a pair identical inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,581 bp each. The genome contained 131 genes (113 unique), including 86 protein-coding genes (80 unique), 37 tRNA genes (29 unique), and eight rRNA genes (four unique). Phylogenetic analysis showed that M. champaca var. champaca is affinal to M. baillonii and they form a nomophyletic group with other eight Michelia species. This Michelia clade is sister to the Aromadendron cathcartii clade with high support. All genera mentioned in this analysis are nomophyletic under the system of Magnoliaceae by Sima and Lu.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the Manglietia longirostrata Sima, a rare and endemic species to china.

Manglietia longirostrata Sima is a rare and endemic species in China. The complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) of M. longirostrata was sequenced and assembled in this study. The cpDNA is 160,049 bps in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 88,098 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,861 bp, separated by a pair of identical inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,571 bp, each. The genome contains 123 genes, including 73 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of cp genome of M. longirostrata with 11 chloroplast genomes previously reported in the Magnoliaceae shows that M. longirostrata is close to Manglietia megaphylla with high bootstrap value.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lirianthe hodgsonii, a tree species of Magnoliaceae as least concern.

Lirianthe hodgsonii is a tree species of Magnoliaceae as least concern. In the present paper, the complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) and basic annotated information of L. hodgsonii were reported and its phylogenetic relationship with other species in Magnoliaceae was analyzed. The size of its complete cpDNA is 159,693 bp, with a typical quadripartite structure comprising a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,546 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,848 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,753 bp. The genome contains 131 unique genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that L. hodgsonii is affinal to Lirianthe bidoupensis and they form a monophyletic group with other seven Lirianthe species. This Lirianthe clade is sister to the Dugandiodendron and Talauma clade with high support. All genera mentioned in this analysis are monophyletic under the system of Magnoliaceae by Sima and Lu.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Zanthoxylum armatum.

The first complete chloroplast genome sequences of Zanthoxylum armatum were reported in this study. The cpDNA of Z. armatum is 158,579 bp in length, contains a large single copy region (LSC) of 85,780 bp and a small single copy region (SSC) of 17,598 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 27,598 bp. The genome contains 133 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content of the whole genome is 38.5%. Phylogenetic analysis of 18 chloroplast genomes within the family Rutaceae suggests that Z. armatum is closely related to Zanthoxylum schinifolium.