AUTHOR=Park Inkyu , Yang Sungyu , Song Jun-Ho , Moon Byeong Cheol 

TITLE=Dissection for Floral Micromorphology and Plastid Genome of Valuable Medicinal Borages Arnebia and Lithospermum (Boraginaceae)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.606463

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2020.606463

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The genera <italic>Arnebia</italic> and <italic>Lithospermum</italic> (Lithospermeae-Boraginaceae) comprise 25–30 and 50–60 species, respectively. Some of them are economically valuable, as their roots frequently contain a purple-red dye used in the cosmetic industry. Furthermore, dried roots of <italic>Arnebia euchroma</italic>, <italic>A. guttata</italic>, and <italic>Lithospermum erythrorhizon</italic>, which have been designated Lithospermi Radix, are used as traditional Korean herbal medicine. This study is the first report on the floral micromorphology and complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of <italic>A. guttata</italic> (including <italic>A. tibetana</italic>), <italic>A. euchroma</italic>, and <italic>L. erythrorhizon</italic>. We reveal great diversity in floral epidermal cell patterns, gynoecium, and structure of trichomes. The cp genomes were 149,361–150,465 bp in length, with conserved quadripartite structures. In total, 112 genes were identified, including 78 protein-coding regions, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Gene order, content, and orientation were highly conserved and were consistent with the general structure of angiosperm cp genomes. Comparison of the four cp genomes revealed locally divergent regions, mainly within intergenic spacer regions (<italic>atpH-atpI</italic>, <italic>petN-psbM</italic>, <italic>rbcL-psaI</italic>, <italic>ycf4-cemA</italic>, <italic>ndhF-rpl32</italic>, and <italic>ndhC-trnV-UAC</italic>). To facilitate species identification, we developed molecular markers <italic>psaA</italic>- <italic>ycf3</italic> (PSY), <italic>trnI-CAU- ycf2</italic> (TCY), and <italic>ndhC</italic>-<italic>trnV-UAC</italic> (NCTV) based on divergence hotspots. High-resolution phylogenetic analysis revealed clear clustering and a close relationship of <italic>Arnebia</italic> to its <italic>Lithospermum</italic> sister group, which was supported by strong bootstrap values and posterior probabilities. Overall, gynoecium characteristics and genetic distance of cp genomes suggest that <italic>A. tibetana</italic>, might be recognized as an independent species rather than a synonym of <italic>A. guttata</italic>. The present morphological and cp genomic results provide useful information for future studies, such as taxonomic, phylogenetic, and evolutionary analysis of Boraginaceae.</p>