Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome assembly of Amorphophallus yunnanensis Engler, Pflanzenr (Araceae) from southwestern China

Abstract

Southwestern China is a biodiversity hotspot due to its diverse topography and environment. Amorphophallus yunnanensis is a species of perennial herb that is mainly distributed throughout southwestern China. The genetic diversity and divergence in this species have not been assessed largely due to a lack of genomic resources. To help with the phylogeographic study, we sequenced and assembled the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of A. yunnanensis. The length of the chloroplast genome was 164,417 bp, with an average GC content of 36% (GenBank accession no. OR400247). The genome possessed a typical quadripartite structure, and the lengths of the large single-copy (LSC), small single-copy (SSC), and two inverted repeat (IR) regions were 92,149 bp, 15,182 bp, 28,543bp, and 28,543bp, respectively. A total of 128 genes were annotated across the genome, including 82 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNAs, and 38 tRNAs. The maximum likelihood (ML) phylogeny confirmed the phylogenetic position of Amorphophallus within Araceae, with the Amorphophallus species forming a single monophyletic clade with a high bootstrap value. The ML tree also indicated that A. yunnanensis was most closely related to A. coaetaneus. This newly sequenced chloroplast genome assembly will aid in future studies of genetic diversity, historical population dynamics, and geographic differentiation patterns of A. yunnanensis.