Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of Asterothamnus centraliasiaticus Novopokr. (Asteraceae: Asterothamnus)

Asterothamnus centraliasiaticus Novopokr., a species of perennial deciduous semi-shrub within the family Asteraceae, has excellent medical, economic, ecological and genetic value. In this study, the chloroplast genome of A. centraliasiaticus was first assembled using Illumina HiSeq2500 sequences. The results indicate that the complete cp genome of A. centraliasiaticus is 152,205 bp in length, and comprises a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,031 bp each, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,956 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,187 bp. The GC content of A. centraliasiaticus is 37.3%. A total of 130 genes were successfully annotated containing 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. The maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis based on the complete chloroplast genome data highly supported that A. centraliasiaticus was close to Aster lavandulifolius. These results will provide significant genetic information for the germplasm protection and reasonable development.