Lee Jihyun, Do Seong Duk, Rhee Jae-Sung
Department of Marine Science, College of Natural Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, Republic of Korea.
Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, Republic of Korea.
Mol Biol Rep. 2025 Jun 17;52(1):607. doi: 10.1007/s11033-025-10710-0.
The sea aster, Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz 1962, the sole species of the genus Tripolium, is an annual halophyte. Native to estuarine and coastal marsh ecosystems, it plays a vital ecological role in maintaining the stability of saline habitats and supports biodiversity. In addition, it holds significant economic value as a biomass resource. Despite its ecological and economic importance, genomic data for T. pannonicum have been lacking. Here, we report the first complete chloroplast genome of T. pannonicum, providing a foundational resource for phylogenetic and ecological studies of halophytic species within the Asteraceae family.
The assembled chloroplast genome has a total length of 153,075 bp and a GC content of 37.2%. It comprises four distinct subregions: a large single copy (LSC) region of 84,385 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,028 bp, and two inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,331 bp each. The chloroplast genome encodes 127 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 34 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenomic analysis using the whole PCGs revealed that the chloroplast genome of T. pannonicum is closely related to members of the genus Aster.
This study provides the first chloroplast genome for the genus Tripolium, addressing a significant gap in genomic data for halophytic members of the Asteraceae. The results enhance our understanding of the phylogenetic placement and evolutionary relationships of T. pannonicum within the tribe Astereae. Beyond taxonomy, the chloroplast genome offers a molecular foundation for species identification, biogeographic research, and the genomic approach for the estimation of population structure. These data are especially relevant in providing molecular tools that can be applied to ecological monitoring and conservation strategies for salt-tolerant plant species threatened by habitat degradation and climate change.
海紫菀（Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz 1962）是紫菀属的唯一物种，为一年生盐生植物。它原产于河口和沿海沼泽生态系统，在维持盐生栖息地的稳定性方面发挥着至关重要的生态作用，并支持生物多样性。此外，作为一种生物质资源，它具有重要的经济价值。尽管其具有生态和经济重要性，但海紫菀的基因组数据一直缺乏。在此，我们报告了海紫菀的首个完整叶绿体基因组，为菊科盐生植物的系统发育和生态学研究提供了基础资源。
组装后的叶绿体基因组全长153,075 bp，GC含量为37.2%。它由四个不同的亚区域组成：一个84,385 bp的大单拷贝（LSC）区域、一个18,028 bp的小单拷贝（SSC）区域以及两个各为25,331 bp的反向重复序列（IR）。叶绿体基因组编码127个基因，包括88个蛋白质编码基因（PCG）、34个转运RNA基因和8个核糖体RNA基因。使用整个PCG进行的系统发育基因组分析表明，海紫菀的叶绿体基因组与紫菀属的成员密切相关。
本研究提供了紫菀属的首个叶绿体基因组，填补了菊科盐生植物基因组数据的重大空白。研究结果增强了我们对海紫菀在紫菀族内的系统发育位置和进化关系的理解。除了分类学，叶绿体基因组为物种鉴定、生物地理学研究以及估计种群结构的基因组方法提供了分子基础。这些数据对于提供可应用于受栖息地退化和气候变化威胁的耐盐植物物种的生态监测和保护策略的分子工具尤为重要。
