The Structure, Evolution, and Comparative Genomics of the Dendrobium officinale Mitochondrial Genome

Abstract

Simple Summary Orchidaceae are one of the largest and most diverse plant families on Earth, and many of these plants, such as Dendrobium officinale, are valued as medicines and ornamental plants. While the chloroplast DNA of Orchidaceae species has been studied extensively, their mitochondrial DNA remains poorly understood, even though it plays essential roles in energy production and stress responses. Mitochondrial genomes in plants are unusually large and complex, which makes them difficult to study but also rich in evolutionary information. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to assemble and describe the complete mitochondrial genome of D. officinale. We examined its structure, gene content, repeated sequences, and RNA editing sites and compared it with related Orchidaceae species. We also used this genome to explore the evolutionary relationships of Orchidaceae species. Our results provide new genomic resources for this important medicinal species and improve our understanding of how plant mitochondrial genomes evolve. These findings may support the future breeding, species identification, and conservation of Orchidaceae germplasm.