Inter-simple sequence repeat data reveals high genetic diversity in wild populations of the narrowly distributed endemic Lilium regale in the Minjiang River Valley of China

Development of SSR molecular markers and genetic diversity analysis of Clematis acerifolia from Taihang Mountains

Investigating the genetic diversity and population structure is important in conserving narrowly distributed plants. In this study, 90 Clematis acerifolia (C. acerifolia) plants belonging to nine populations were collected from the Taihang Mountains in Beijing, Hebei, and Henan. Twenty-nine simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers developed based on RAD-seq data were used to analyze the genetic diversity and population structure of C. acerifolia. The mean PIC value for all markers was 0.2910, indicating all SSR markers showed a moderate degree of polymorphism. The expected heterozygosity of the whole populations was 0.3483, indicating the genetic diversity of both C. acerifolia var. elobata and C. acerifolia were low. The expected heterozygosity of C. acerifolia var. elobata (He = 0.2800) was higher than that of C. acerifolia (He = 0.2614). Genetic structure analysis and principal coordinate analysis demonstrated that C. acerifolia and C. acerifolia var. elobata showed great genetic differences. Molecular variance analysis (AMOVA) demonstrated that within-population genetic variation (68.31%) was the main contributor to the variation of the C. acerifolia populations. Conclusively, C. acerifolia var. elobata had higher genetic diversity than C. acerifolia, and there are significant genetic differences between C. acerifolia and C. acerifolia var. elobata, and small genetic variations within the C. acerifolia populations. Our results provide a scientific and rational basis for the conservation of C. acerifolia and provide a reference for the conservation of other cliff plants.

The complete plastid genome of Lilium regale E.H.Wilson

Lilium regale E.H.Wilson is a native lily species in western Sichuan of China and an important resource for lily breeding. In this study, the plastid genome of L. regale was assembled de novo using the next-generation sequencing data. The plastid genome of L. regale was 152,998 bp in length, with a typical quadripartite circle structure consisting of a small single-copy region of 17,529 bp, a large single-copy region of 82,375 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats of 26,547 bp each. A total of 137 different genes were predicted, including 84 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 7 pseudogenes. The overall GC content of the plastid genome was 36.98%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that L. regale is most closely related to Lilium leucanthum.