Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2026

Novel Sequence Discovery by Subtractive Genomics
Published on: January 25, 2019
Chloroplast genomes of nine Primula species: comparative genomics and phylogenetic implications
Yanru Zhang1, Shihao Jiang1, Qinyi Wang1
1College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
Introduction:
Primula is the largest genus in Primulaceae and a classic model for studying heterostyly and plant evolution.
Methods:
In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the complete chloroplast genomes of seven Primula species from China. Two additional plastomes of Primula dejuniana and Primula meishanensis, previously generated and published by our research group, were retrieved from GenBank and integrated into our dataset. We further combined these nine plastome resources with 48 published Primula plastomes and three outgroup plastomes downloaded from GenBank, forming a total dataset of 60 chloroplast genomes to conduct comparative genomic analyses, repeat sequence detection, hypervariable region identification, phylogenetic reconstruction, divergence time estimation, and ancestral trait reconstruction.
Results:
The chloroplast genomes exhibited a typical quadripartite structure and high conservation, with lengths ranging from 151, 555 to 154, 653 bp. We detected 433 SSRs, 242 long repeat sequences, and six highly variable regions that can be used as candidate molecular markers. Phylogenetic analyses firmly clarified the relationships of several sections and newly sequenced species. Divergence time analyses indicated that Primula initiated its rapid radiation at approximately 19.59 Mya (95% HPD: 13.19-25.89 Mya, Early Miocene). Ancestral state reconstruction supported that the genus was ancestrally characterized by umbellate inflorescences, heterostyly, purple corollas, and campanulate calyces, with derived traits evolving repeatedly.
Discussion:
Our results provide valuable chloroplast genomic resources and robust phylogenetic evidence for the evolutionary study of Primula species.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes
The Anatomy of Chloroplasts
Structure of Chloroplasts
A...
Introduction to Plant Diversity
Green Algae

