Phylogenomic Analyses and DNA Barcoding Development Within Moraceae: Insights Into Genomic Features, Mutational...

Area of Science:

• Botany
• Genomics
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Moraceae, a diverse family with 1200 species, holds significant value but faces taxonomic challenges due to morphological variability.
• Understanding the phylogeny of Moraceae is crucial for its effective utilization in food, medicine, and industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To resolve the tribal-level phylogeny of the Moraceae family using complete plastome sequences.
• To identify molecular markers and investigate evolutionary patterns within Moraceae.

Main Methods:

• Sequencing of seven complete Moraceae plastomes and analysis of existing data for 46 species.
• Comparative plastome analysis, identification of repeats and simple sequence repeats (SSRs).
• Phylogenetic analysis, evolutionary rate estimation, and positive selection detection on specific genes.

Main Results:

• Plastomes exhibit a typical quadripartite structure (158,459–162,594 bp) with 10 highly variable regions identified.
• Over 5350 dispersed/tandem repeats and 4751 SSRs were found, indicating potential for molecular marker development.
• Moraceae tribes are confirmed as monophyletic, diverging approximately 79.43 million years ago, coinciding with Cretaceous angiosperm diversification.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a robust phylogenetic framework for the Moraceae family, aiding taxonomic revisions.
• Genomic resources generated will support future genetic engineering and germplasm exploration within Moraceae.