Comprehensive Survey of Genetic Diversity in Chloroplast Genomes and 45S nrDNAs within Panax ginseng Species

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 10;10(6):e0117159. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117159. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

We report complete sequences of chloroplast (cp) genome and 45S nuclear ribosomal DNA (45S nrDNA) for 11 Panax ginseng cultivars. We have obtained complete sequences of cp and 45S nrDNA, the representative barcoding target sequences for cytoplasm and nuclear genome, respectively, based on low coverage NGS sequence of each cultivar. The cp genomes sizes ranged from 156,241 to 156,425 bp and the major size variation was derived from differences in copy number of tandem repeats in the ycf1 gene and in the intergenic regions of rps16-trnUUG and rpl32-trnUAG. The complete 45S nrDNA unit sequences were 11,091 bp, representing a consensus single transcriptional unit with an intergenic spacer region. Comparative analysis of these sequences as well as those previously reported for three Chinese accessions identified very rare but unique polymorphism in the cp genome within P. ginseng cultivars. There were 12 intra-species polymorphisms (six SNPs and six InDels) among 14 cultivars. We also identified five SNPs from 45S nrDNA of 11 Korean ginseng cultivars. From the 17 unique informative polymorphic sites, we developed six reliable markers for analysis of ginseng diversity and cultivar authentication.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chloroplasts / genetics*
  • DNA, Plant / genetics*
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Genome, Plant
  • INDEL Mutation
  • Panax / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Substances

  • DNA, Plant

Grants and funding

This research was carried out with the supports by Technology Development Program for Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Grant no. 609001), "Next-Generation BioGreen21 Program for Agriculture & Technology Development (Project No. PJ01100801)" Rural Development Administration, and "The Genetic Evaluation of Important Biological Resources 2012, 2013" from the National Institute of Biological Resources under the Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea.