Jong-Wook Chung

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Glycyrrhiza lepidota (Nutt.) Pursh - An American wild licorice

The wild species are considered as primary and secondary genepools for the world’s most important food crops. Here, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of an American wild licorice, Glycyrrhiza lepidota for the first time to investigate their phylogenetic relationship among inverted-repeat-lacking clade (IRLC) legumes. The total length of the chloroplast genome is 127,939 bp, with 34.2% overall GC content. The chloroplast genome harbors 110 known genes, including 76 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes, and 30 tRNA genes. Similar to other closely related plastomes, rpl22 and rps16 are absent. A total of 464 cp microsatellites (cpSSRs) were analyzed in the G. lepidota. The majority of the SSRs in this cp genome are penta-nucleotides (61.6%). Locally collinear blocks (LCBs) identified between the Glycyrrhiza glabra and G. lepidota cp genomes were showed that they were well conserved with respect to gene organization and order. Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis indicates that G. lepidota is closely related to its confamilial counterparts than to the other taxa of the IRLC legumes.

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Capsicum baccatum var. baccatum

Molecular markers derived from the complete chloroplast genome can provide effective tools for species identification and phylogenetic resolution. Complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of Capsicum species have been reported. We herein report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Capsicumbaccatum var. baccatum, a wild Capsicum species. The total length of the chloroplast genome is 157,145xa0bp with 37.7xa0% overall GC content. One pair of inverted repeats, 25,910xa0bp in length, was separated by a small single-copy region (17,974xa0bp) and large single-copy region (87,351xa0bp). This region contains 86 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 11 genes contain one or two introns. Pair-wise alignments of chloroplast genome were performed for genome-wide comparison. Analysis revealed a total of 134 simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs and 282 insertions or deletions variants in the C. baccatum var. baccatum cp genome. The types and abundances of repeat units in Capsicum species were relatively conserved, and these loci could be used in future studies to investigate and conserve the genetic diversity of the Capsicum species.

Next-generation sequencing yields the complete chloroplast genome of C. goeringii acc. smg222 and phylogenetic analysis

Abstract Spring orchid (Cymbidium goeringii) is one of the most important species belonging to Orchidaceae owing to its aesthetic appeal, fragrant flowers and ideal characteristics for using as a houseplant. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of Korean C. goeringii acc. smg222 was determined by Illumina sequencing. The circular double-stranded DNA of 148,441u2009bp consisted of two inverted repeat regions of 25,610u2009bp each, a large single copy region of 83,311u2009bp, and a small single copy region of 13,910u2009bp. The genome contained 122 genes, of which 104 were unique and 18 were duplicated within the IRs. The 104 unique genes included 70 protein-coding genes, 30 distinct tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that C. goeringii acc. smg222 was clustered with Cymbidium kanran, a cymbidium species native to Korea.

Phytochemical distribution and antioxidant activities of Korean adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) landraces

Total polyphenol content (TPC), total phenolic acid content (TPA), and total flavonoid content (TFC) in 209 Korean adzuki bean landraces were determined by colorimetric methods. Antioxidant effects were evaluated with the DPPH, ABTS, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), reducing power (RP), and SOD assays. TPC, TPA, and TFC in the 209 Korean adzuki bean landraces ranged from 1.1 to 11.7 mg gallic acid equivalents/g, 0.37 to 5.03 mg caffeic acid equivalents/g, and 0.17 to 0.91 mg quercetin equivalents/g, respectively. Antioxidant activities as assessed by the DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, PR, and SOD assays showed wide variation, ranging from 12.2 to 86.3 (IC50), 0.85 to 5.25 mg ascorbic acid equivalents (ASC)/g, 0.41 to 5.44 mg ASC/g, 0.54 to 1.83 mg ASC/g, and 60.4 to 142.8 (IC50), respectively. Using the relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI), we found that the IT189394 had the highest antioxidant activity. In clustering analysis, 209 Korean adzuki bean landraces were classified into three clusters. Among them, cluster I contained 22 landraces with higher antioxidant activities, TPC, TFC, and TPA and smaller seed sizes than the other clusters. We anticipate that these results will provide useful information for the development of adzuki bean-based functional foods.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of wild oat, Avena sterilis L. (Poaceae) and its phylogeny

Abstract Wild oat, Avena sterilis L. is a stout broad-leaved annual grass resembling cultivated oats in general appearance. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of A. sterilis for the first time to investigate their phylogenetic relationship in the family Poaceae. The complete cp genome sequence is 135,887u2009bp in length with 38.5% overall GC content and exhibits a typical quadripartite structure comprising one pair of inverted repeats (21,603u2009bp) separated by a small single-copy region (12,575u2009bp) and a large single-copy region (80,106). The cp genome encodes 111 unique genes, 76 of which are protein-coding genes, four rRNA genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 18 duplicated genes in the inverted repeat region. The phylogenetic analysis indicated A. sterilis closely clustered with the cultivated oat, A. sativa L.

The complete chloroplast genome sequences of little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth ex Roem. and Schult.) (Poaceae)

Abstract Little millet, Panicum sumatrense Roth ex Roem. & Schult., is an important cultivated species under the tribe Paniceae, sub-family Panicoideae and family Poaceae. In this study, for the first time we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of P. sumatrense to investigate their phylogenetic relationship in the family Poaceae. The complete cp genome sequence of P. sumatrense is 139,384u2009bp in length with 38.6% overall GC content and exhibits a typical quadripartite structure comprising one pair of inverted repeats (22,723u2009bp) separated by a small single-copy region (12,583u2009bp) and a large single-copy region (81,355u2009bp). The P. sumatrense cp genome encodes 125 unique genes, which include 91 protein-coding genes, 4 rRNA genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 20 genes were duplicated in the inverted repeat region. This newly determined cp genome (P. sumatrense) could be valuable information for the breeding programs of this cereal crops in the family Poaceae.

Development of cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) and high-resolution melting (HRM) markers from the chloroplast genome of Glycyrrhiza species

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is an important medicinal crop often used as health foods or medicine worldwide. The molecular genetics of licorice is under scarce owing to lack of molecular markers. Here, we have developed cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) and high-resolution melting (HRM) markers based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) by comparing the chloroplast genomes of two Glycyrrhiza species (G. glabra and G. lepidota). The CAPS and HRM markers were tested for diversity analysis with 24 Glycyrrhiza accessions. The restriction profiles generated with CAPS markers classified the accessions (2–4 genotypes) and melting curves (2–3) were obtained from the HRM markers. The number of alleles and major allele frequency were 2−6 and 0.31–0.92, respectively. The genetic distance and polymorphism information content values were 0.16–0.76 and 0.15–0.72, respectively. The phylogenetic relationships among the 24 accessions were estimated using a dendrogram, which classified them into four clades. Except clade III, the remaining three clades included the same species, confirming interspecies genetic correlation. These 18 CAPS and HRM markers might be helpful for genetic diversity assessment and rapid identification of licorice species.

Development and Molecular Characterization of Novel Polymorphic Genomic DNA SSR Markers in Lentinula edodes

Abstract Sixteen genomic DNA simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers of Lentinula edodes were developed from 205 SSR motifs present in 46.1–Mb long L. edodes genome sequences. The number of alleles ranged from 3–14 and the major allele frequency was distributed from 0.17–0.96. The values of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.00–0.76 and 0.07–0.90, respectively. The polymorphic information content value ranged from 0.07–0.89. A dendrogram, based on 16 SSR markers clustered by the paired hierarchical clustering’ method, showed that 33 shiitake cultivars could be divided into three major groups and successfully identified. These SSR markers will contribute to the efficient breeding of this species by providing diversity in shiitake varieties. Furthermore, the genomic information covered by the markers can provide a valuable resource for genetic linkage map construction, molecular mapping, and marker–assisted selection in the shiitake mushroom.

Comparison of eating quality and seed storage protein among Korean rice landraces

Improving eating quality and nutrition is one of the most important objectives in rice breeding program. Palatability factors and seed protein patterns of 69 Korean rice landraces were compared in this study. Of seven palatability factors, setback viscosity (SBV) had the largest variance, ranging from -144 to 45. Water content (WC) had the lowest variance, ranging from 11.0 to 13.0. In correlation analysis, eating quality was positively correlated with all palatability factors except gelatinization temperature (GT). In principal component analyses (PCA), the first PC with Eigen value of 5.06 explained 42.2% of the total variance. Cool paste viscosity (CPV) was the variable that had the largest positive loading. The second PC with Eigen value of 2.09 explained an additional 17.4% of the total variance. SBV was a variable that had the highest negative loading. Peak viscosity (PKV) had positive variance between PC1 and PC2. The 69 Korean rice landraces were clustered into four groups based on physicochemical properties and palatability factors, with groups I and II showing higher EQ than other groups. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed five seed storage patterns in the 69 Korean rice landraces. Among them, 84% (58 landraces) had pattern I. These results indicate that it is possible to develop high palatability cultivars using Korean rice landraces. In addition, screening of landraces based on variation in seed storage protein profile using SDS-PAGE could be highly effective for the identification of valuable rice genetic resources.