Complete Mitochondrial Genome and a Set of 10 Novel Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR Markers in Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey.)

Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., a perennial herb belonging to the family Araliaceae, is a valuable medicinal plant with distinctive biological characteristics. However, comprehensive analyses of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) are lacking. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of ginseng based on long-read data from the Nanopore sequencing platform. The mitogenome was assembled into a “master circle” form of 464,705 bp and contained 72 unique genes. The genome had three large repeat regions, and 10.42% of the sequences were mitogenome sequences of plastid origin (MTPTs). In total, 278 variants (213 SNPs and 65 InDels) were discovered, most of which were identified in intergenic regions. The MTPT regions were mutational hotspots, harboring 74.5% of the variants. The ginseng mitogenome showed a higher mutation rate than that of the chloroplast genome, and this pattern is uncommon in plants. In addition, 10 Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers were developed from 10 SNPs, excluding those in MTPT regions. These markers accurately identified the genotypes of 59 Korean ginseng accessions and elucidated mitogenome diversity. These results provide insight into organellar genomes and genetic diversity in ginseng. Moreover, the complete mitogenome sequence and 10 KASP markers will be useful for ginseng research and breeding.