The genus Convallaria (Asparagaceae) comprises three herbaceous perennial species that are widely distributed in the understory of temperate deciduous forests in the Northern Hemisphere. Although Convallaria species have high medicinal and horticultural values, studies related to the phylogenetic analysis of this genus are few. In the present study, we assembled and reported five complete chloroplast (cp) sequences of three Convallaria species (two of C. keiskei Miq., two of C. majalis L., and one of C. montana Raf.) using Illumina paired-end sequencing data. The cp genomes were highly similar in overall size (161,365–162,972 bp), and all consisted of a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions (29,140–29,486 bp) separated by a large single-copy (LSC) (85,183–85,521 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (17,877–18,502 bp). Each cp genome contained the same 113 unique genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes, and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. Gene content, gene order, AT content and IR/SC boundary structure were nearly identical among all of the Convallaria cp genomes. However, their lengths varied due to contraction/expansion at the IR/LSC borders. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) analyses indicated that the richest SSRs are A/T mononucleotides. Three highly variable regions (petA-psbJ, psbI-trnS and ccsA-ndhD) were identified as valuable molecular markers. Phylogenetic analysis of the family Asparagaceae using 48 cp genome sequences supported the monophyly of Convallaria, which formed a sister clade to the genus Rohdea. Our study provides a robust phylogeny of the Asparagaceae family. The complete cp genome sequences will contribute to further studies in the molecular identification, genetic diversity, and phylogeny of Convallaria.

The glucose regulated protein (GRP78) is an important chaperone for various environmental and physiological stimulations. Despite the importance of GRP78 in cell survival and tumor progression, the information regarding GRP78 in silkworm Bombyx mori L. is poorly explored. We previously identified that GRP78 expression was significantly upregulated in the silkworm Nd mutation proteome database. Herein, we characterized the GRP78 protein from silkworm B. mori (hereafter, BmGRP78). The identified BmGRP78 protein encoded a 658 amino acid residues protein with a predicted molecular weight of approximately 73 kDa and comprised of two structural domains, a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and a substrate-binding domain (SBD). BmGRP78 was ubiquitously expressed in all examined tissues and developmental stages by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. The purified recombinant BmGRP78 (rBmGRP78) exhibited ATPase activity and could inhibit the aggregating thermolabile model substrates. Heat-induction or Pb/Hg-exposure strongly stimulated the upregulation expression at the translation levels of BmGRP78 in BmN cells, whereas no significant change resulting from BmNPV infection was found. Additionally, heat, Pb, Hg, and BmNPV exposure resulted in the translocation of BmGRP78 into the nucleus. These results lay a foundation for the future identification of the molecular mechanisms related to GRP78 in silkworms.

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Sparganium angustifolium was sequenced and annotated in the present study. The circular genome is 161,720 bp in length and exhibits a typical quadripartite structure with a large single-copy (LSC, 88,981 bp) and small single-copy (SSC, 18,731 bp) regions, separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 27,004 bp). The cp genome contains 114 unique genes, including 80 protein-coding, 30 tRNA, and four rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis of Typhaceae strongly supported the monophyly of Sparganium and resolved two clades that represented newly revised two subgenera. S. angustifolia has the closest relationship with S. emersum in the present sampling extent.

Two complete chloroplast genomes of Hippuris vulgaris (H. vulgaris_A and H. vulgaris_B), representing two distinct clades in China, were sequenced and assembled in this study. The circular genomes were 152,763 and 152,713 bp in length and exhibit a typical quadripartite structure of the large single-copy (LSC, 82,983/82,949 bp) and small single-copy (SSC, 18,294/18,278 bp) regions, separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, both 25,743 bp). Both two cp genomes identically contain 133 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA, and eight rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis within Plantaginaceae demonstrated Hippuris an independent clade included in the expanded Plantaginaceae.