Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment

Abstract Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae, comprising about 200 species, primarily concentrated in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), exhibits high species richness in alpine regions, showing variations in habitat, morphology, physiology, and life cycles. Its adaptation to alpine environments renders it ideal...

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Main Authors: Dan Li, Huiling Li, Luxuan Yang, Xi Luo, Hong Chang, Xiaoting Xu, Xiulian Chi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Plant Biology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06706-4
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author Dan Li
Huiling Li
Luxuan Yang
Xi Luo
Hong Chang
Xiaoting Xu
Xiulian Chi
author_facet Dan Li
Huiling Li
Luxuan Yang
Xi Luo
Hong Chang
Xiaoting Xu
Xiulian Chi
author_sort Dan Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae, comprising about 200 species, primarily concentrated in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), exhibits high species richness in alpine regions, showing variations in habitat, morphology, physiology, and life cycles. Its adaptation to alpine environments renders it ideal for understanding the genetic basis of how species cope with cold climates. In this study, we sequenced, assembled and analyzed the chloroplast genomes of 20 Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae species and found that chloroplast genomes are generally conserved, with three highly variable regions: psbI-trnS, petG-trnW, and gene ycf1. Phylogenetic analyses (ML and BI) supported the monophyly of Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae, identifying three main clades. Genes cemA, infA and psbB were found to be associated with high-altitude adaptation. Furthermore, psbB may have undergone intracellular gene transfer and exhibited different selective pressures between the transcriptome and chloroplast genome.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1471-2229
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher BMC
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series BMC Plant Biology
spelling doaj-art-ac2facdfd74747289027646dbe9d93f02025-08-20T03:45:25ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292025-07-0125111110.1186/s12870-025-06706-4Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environmentDan Li0Huiling Li1Luxuan Yang2Xi Luo3Hong Chang4Xiaoting Xu5Xiulian Chi6Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan UniversityKey Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan UniversityKey Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan UniversityKey Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan UniversityKey Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan UniversityKey Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan UniversityState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesAbstract Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae, comprising about 200 species, primarily concentrated in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), exhibits high species richness in alpine regions, showing variations in habitat, morphology, physiology, and life cycles. Its adaptation to alpine environments renders it ideal for understanding the genetic basis of how species cope with cold climates. In this study, we sequenced, assembled and analyzed the chloroplast genomes of 20 Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae species and found that chloroplast genomes are generally conserved, with three highly variable regions: psbI-trnS, petG-trnW, and gene ycf1. Phylogenetic analyses (ML and BI) supported the monophyly of Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae, identifying three main clades. Genes cemA, infA and psbB were found to be associated with high-altitude adaptation. Furthermore, psbB may have undergone intracellular gene transfer and exhibited different selective pressures between the transcriptome and chloroplast genome.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06706-4Chloroplast genomeSaxifraga sect. CiliataeHypervariable regionsHigh-elevation adaptation
spellingShingle Dan Li
Huiling Li
Luxuan Yang
Xi Luo
Hong Chang
Xiaoting Xu
Xiulian Chi
Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment
BMC Plant Biology
Chloroplast genome
Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae
Hypervariable regions
High-elevation adaptation
title Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment
title_full Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment
title_fullStr Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment
title_full_unstemmed Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment
title_short Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae: insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment
title_sort comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes within saxifraga sect ciliatae insights into their adaptation to the alpine environment
topic Chloroplast genome
Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae
Hypervariable regions
High-elevation adaptation
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06706-4
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