Plastid genome of Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima (poro-poro) from Huánuco, Peru

TL;DR

This study reports the first plastid genome of Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima from Peru, providing a valuable resource for genetic research and conservation.

Contribution

The first plastid genome sequence of Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima from Peru is presented.

Findings

The plastid genome is 163,451 bp long with specific regions and gene content detailed.

The phylogenetic analysis shows poro-poro is closely related to Passiflora menispermifolia and Passiflora oerstedii.

The genome provides a foundation for molecular markers, evolution, and conservation studies.

Abstract

Passiflora tripartita var.
mollissima, known locally as poro-poro, is an important native fruit used in traditional Peruvian medicine with relevant agro-industrial and pharmaceutical potential for its antioxidant capacity for human health. However, to date, only a few genetic data are available, which limits exploring its genetic diversity and developing new genetic studies for its improvement. We report the poro-poro plastid genome to expand the knowledge of its molecular markers, evolutionary studies, molecular pathways, and conservation genetics. Total genomic DNA was extracted from fresh leaves (herbarium voucher: USM:MHN331530). The DNA was sequenced using Illumina Novaseq 6000 platform providing 163,451 bp in length, with a large single-copy region of 85,525 bp and a small single-copy region of 13,518 bp, separated by a pair of inverted repeat regions (IR) of 32,204 bp, and the overall GC content was 36.87%. The chloroplast genome contains 129 genes (112 genes were unique and 17 genes were found duplicated in each IR region), including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA-coding genes, seven ribosomal RNA-coding genes, and 14 genes with introns (12 genes with one intron and two genes with two introns). The phylogenetic tree reconstructed based on single-copy orthologous genes and maximum likelihood analysis demonstrates poro-poro is most closely related to
Passiflora menispermifolia and
Passiflora oerstedii. In summary, our study provides the basis for developing new molecular markers that constitutes a valuable resource for studying molecular evolution and domestication. It also provides a powerful foundation for conservation genetics research and plant breeding programs. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the plastid genome of
Passiflora tripartita var.
mollissima from Peru.

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