Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes of Stemona tuberosa Lour. reveals heterogeneity in structure, synteny, intercellular gene transfer, and RNA editing

Abstract

Background Stemona tuberosa, a vital species in traditional Chinese medicine, has been extensivelycultivated and utilized within its natural distribution over the past decades. While the chloroplast genome of S. tuberosa has been characterized, itsmitochondrial genome (mitogenome) remainsunexplored. Results Thispaper presents the assembly of the complete S. tuberosa mitogenome using Illumina and Nanopore sequencing technologies. The assembled mitogenome is 605,873 bp in size with a GC content of 45.63%. It comprises66 genes, including 38 protein-coding genes, 25 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes.We investigated codon usage, sequence repeats, and RNA editing within the mitogenome. Additionally, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis involving S. tuberosa and 17 other taxa to clarify its evolutionary and taxonomic status. This study providesa crucial genetic resource for evolutionary research withinthe genus Stemona and other related genera in the Stemonaceae family. Conclusion Our study provides the first detailed analysis of the mitochondrial genome of S. tuberosa, revealing its unique multi-branched structure. We investigated codon usage, sequence repeats, and RNA editing within the mitogenome. Meanwhile, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis involving S. tuberosa and 17 other taxa to clarify its evolutionary and taxonomic status. These investigations provide a crucial genetic resource for evolutionary research within the genus Stemona and other related genera in the Stemonaceae family.