Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42332558›Full record

ArticleBMC plant biology2026

Plastome evolution and phylogenomic relationships in Ajuga (Lamiaceae, Ajugoideae).

Shu-Han Li, Li-Qiong Jiang, Ferhat Celep, Alan J Paton, Trevor C Wilson, Orzimat T Turginov, Tuncay Dirmenci, Chun-Lei Xiang, Fei Zhao

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Article in BMC plant biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Shu-Han LiYunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
Li-Qiong JiangCollege of Life Sciences, The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, China.
Ferhat CelepDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Kırıkkale University, Yahşihan, 71450, Türkiye.
Alan J PatonScience Directorate, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK.
Trevor C WilsonPlant Discovery and Evolution Research, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, NSW, 2567, Australia.
Orzimat T TurginovFaculty of Biology, Department of Botany and Plant physiology, National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Tashkent, 100174, Uzbekistan.
Tuncay DirmenciDepartment of Biology Education, Balıkesir University, Altıeylül, 10100, Türkiye. dirmenci@balikesir.edu.tr.
Chun-Lei XiangYunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China. xiangchunlei@mail.kib.ac.cn.
Fei ZhaoCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610213, China. zhaofei@cib.ac.cn.

Funding

International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences 070GJHZ202211FNNational Natural Science Foundation of China 32200175Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program 2022FY202200The CAS-ANSO Visiting Scholar Program CAS-ANSO-FS-202502The financial support from TÜBİTAK-TOVAG 123R090TianFu Emei Plan Youth Talent project in science and technology 2685TÜBİTAK for financial support 1059B191900074
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAjuga is currently known to include approximately 69 species, with a combined distribution extending throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. Its popularity and significance are largely based on an extensive history of medicinal and horticultural use. It is divided into two sections based on morphological characters, and this sectional classification is also reflected in pronounced geographic patterns. Although previous studies have largely focused on Ajuga sect. Ajuga in East Asia, A. sect. Chamaepithys, which ranges from the Mediterranean to Central Asia, remains insufficiently sampled, thereby limiting a comprehensive understanding of infrageneric sectional relationships within the genus. Here, we generated complete plastid genomes for 12 species representing both sections of the genus and used these data to characterize plastome structure and infer evolutionary relationships.

resultsIn this study, 21 Ajuga plastomes were analyzed, including 12 newly sequenced plastomes and 9 previously published plastomes representing 19 species. Comparative analyses showed that all plastomes exhibited a highly conserved quadripartite structure, with genome sizes ranging from 149,963 to 150,740 bp and GC contents varying from 38.2% to 38.3%. Each plastome contained 133 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. The boundaries between the inverted repeat (IR) and single-copy (SC) regions were also highly conserved across species. In addition, 796 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), 874 long repeat sequences (LRSs), and 12 highly variable regions (ccsA-ndhD, ndhF-rpl32, petA-psbJ, rpl32-trnL-UAG, rps2-rpoC2, trnH-GUG-psbA, trnK-UUU-rps16, trnP-UGG-psaJ, trnT-UGU-trnL-UAA, ycf15-trnL-CAA, ndhF, and ycf1) were identified among the 21 plastomes. Phylogenetic analyses based on four datasets and conducted using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference recovered two major clades corresponding to the traditionally recognized sectional classification, with one distributed from the Mediterranean to Central Asia and the other in East Asia.

conclusionThis study represents the most comprehensive plastome-based sampling of Ajuga to date, including representative species from the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and East Asia. Our results have significantly enhanced our understanding of its infrageneric relationships. The plastome resources generated in this study provide a valuable foundation for future research on species delimitation, phylogeny, and the evolutionary history of Ajuga.

Indexed as

AjugaEvolution, MolecularGenome, PlastidPhylogenyAjugeaeAjugoideaeChloroplast genomeComparative analysisPhylogeny

Identifiers

PMID42332558
PMCPMC13543556

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.