Chloroplast Genome Analysis for Genetic Information and Authentication in Five <i>Barleria</i> Species.

In order to authenticate the genomic information of <i>Barleria</i><i>cristata</i> L., <i>B. lupulina</i> Lindl., <i>B. repens</i> Nees, <i>B. siamensis</i> Craib, and <i>B. strigosa</i> Willd, cp genomes were investigated. They revealed a general structure with a total size of 151,997-152,324 bp. The genomes encoded a total of 131 genes, including 86 CDS, 37 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes. Other details found were as follows: different numbers and types of SSRs; identical gene content, which is adjacent to the border regions, except for <i>B. strigosa</i>, that revealed a shorter <i>ndh</i>F gene sequence and lacked the <i>ycf</i>1 gene; slightly different genetic distance values, which can be used for species identification; three distinct gaps of nucleotide variations between the species located at the intergenic spacer regions of the LSC and CDS of the SSC; three effective molecular markers derived from divergent hotspot regions, including the <i>ccs</i>A-<i>ndh</i>D, <i>ndh</i>A-<i>ndh</i>H-<i>rps</i>15, and <i>ycf</i>1. The genetic relationships derived from the cp genome and the CDS phylogenetic trees of <i>Barleria</i> and the 13 genera in Acanthaceae and different families, Scrophulariaceae and Phrymaceae, showed similar results. The six <i>Barleria</i> species as monophyletic groups with inner and outer outgroups were found to have perfect discrimination. These results have helped to authenticate the five <i>Barleria</i> species and the six genera in Acanthaceae.