Journal de médecine légale

Advancements in Molecular Marker Development for Medicinal Salvia

Abstract

Yang Liu

We employed Illumina Hiseq 2500 technology to conduct chloroplast genome sequencing for Salvia bowleyana, S. splendens, and S. officinalis. This endeavor aimed to elucidate their evolutionary relationships comprehensively and establish molecular markers for species identification. The chloroplast genomes of these species exhibited lengths of 151,387, 150,604, and 151,163 base pairs, respectively. Within these genomes, the inverted repeat (IR) regions harbored six genes: ndhB, rpl2, rpl23, rps7, rps12, and ycf2. In terms of repeat structures, S. bowleyana, S. splendens, and S. officinalis showcased 29 tandem repeats, 35 simple sequence repeats, and 24 simple sequence repeats, along with 47, 49, and 40 interspersed repeats, respectively. Notably, three distinct intergenic sequences (IGS)-rps16-trnQ-UUG, trnL-UAA-trnF-GAA, and trnMCAU- atpE-enabled the differentiation of the 23 Salvia species. Genetic distance analysis identified a total of 91 intergenic spacer sequences, with the ycf3-trnS-GGA and trnG-GCC-trnM-CAU regions demonstrating the highest K2p values among the three Salvia species under investigation. Furthermore, our phylogenetic analysis revealed that the 23 Salvia species formed a monophyletic group. This study also unveiled the development of two sets of genus-specific DNA barcode primers. These findings serve as a robust foundation for understanding the phylogenetic classification of the three Salvia species. Additionally, the distinctive intergenic regions hold the potential to distinguish Salvia species based on both phenotypic traits and gene segment differentiation.