The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Abies chensiensis (Pinaceae: Abietoideae), an endangered species endemic to China

Abstract

Chloroplast (cp) genome sequences became a widely used tool for evolutionary and phylogenetic studies in plants. Abies chensiensis (Pinaceae: Abietoideae) is an endangered species endemic to China. To understand its evolutionary characteristics, the complete chloroplast genome of the A. chensiensis has been reconstructed from the whole-genome Illumina sequencing data. The circular genome is 121,784 bp in length and without a typical quadripartite structure due to the loss of IR region. The total GC content of whole genome sequence is 38.3%. The chloroplast genome encodes 109 genes, including 75 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes and four ribosomal RNA genes. Among them, 35 genes involved in photosynthesis, while 58 genes involved in self-replication. The Maximum-Likelihood phylogenetic analysis showed a strong sister relationship with A. nephrolepis and A. koreana in Abietoideae. Our findings provide fundamental information for further evolutionary and phylogenetic researches of Abietoideae.