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The chloroplast genomes of three different flower colors of P. kingianum

The assembled chloroplast genome of P. kingianum displayed the typical quadripartite structure (Fig. 1). The genome lengths for red-, green-, and white-flowered P. kingianum were 155,827 bp, 155,825 bp, and 155,792 bp, respectively. The SSC region was approximately 18,530 bp long (Table S3), and the LSC region was approximately 84,640 bp long. rRNA and tRNA gene lengths were conserved, with only a 1-bp deletion in one white-flowered tRNA gene compared to the red and green phenotypes. Overall GC content was nearly identical (37.65% for red/green vs. 37.68% for white), with less than 0.1% variation among phenotypes. Region-specific GC content was highly conserved across all genomic compartments (Table S4).

Statistical analysis of the chloroplast genome composition of three P. kingianum flower color phenotypes revealed no significant differences in color. All the samples contained 132 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 38 tRNA genes. These genes were categorized into four groups: photosynthesis-related genes, self-replication-related genes, other genes, and genes with unknown functions (Table S5). Among them were four pseudogenes: ycf1–4. Notably, ycf1 and ycf2 underwent duplication events, and ycf3 contained two introns. Additionally, 20 genes exhibited duplications, including all rRNA genes, 8 tRNA genes, and 8 protein-coding genes. A total of 21 genes contained introns, of which 5 were tRNA genes and 16 were protein-coding genes. Both rps12 and clpP had two introns (Table S6).

To reveal the structural variations in the chloroplast genomes of three P. kingianum flower color phenotypes, we analyzed the chloroplast genome structures of eight additional species and compared them with those of P. kingianum (Fig. 2). The results revealed that the total length of the chloroplast genomes ranged from 155,549 bp (P. sibiricum) to 155,950 bp (P. cirrhifolium), which was slightly different from that of P. kingianum. Similar minor variations were observed across different regions. However, the proportion of noncoding regions in H. ogisui was significantly greater than that in Polygonatum. Compared with those of P. kingianum, the GC contents of all regions in these species exhibited slight variations, with the IR regions and the regions encoding tRNAs and rRNAs having higher GC contents than other regions. With respect to gene composition, the chloroplast genome structure was consistent across all species, with no differences in gene content, although slight variations in gene length were observed (Table S7).

Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Polygonatum and the origin of floral color traits in P. kingianum

Using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods, we constructed phylogenetic trees based on the common protein-coding sequences from chloroplast genomes (Fig. 3 and Supplementary Fig. 3). L. chinensis was designated as the outgroup. The results showed highly consistent topologies, with all nodes exhibiting high bootstrap values (BS) and posterior probabilities (PP), indicating strong statistical support. With L. chinensis forming a distinct clade as the outgroup, the Asparagaceae family species were clearly resolved into monophyletic groups. Heteropolygonatum and Polygonatum presented a sister relationship. Notably, within the Polygonatum clade, all species were divided into three groups by P. sibiricum: sect. Polygonatum, sect. sibiricum, and sect. Verticillata. P. kingianum belongs to the sect. Verticillata group, where the three flower color phenotypes of P. kingianum formed a distinct subclade with high bootstrap and posterior support, distinguishing them from other species within the group.

Integrated morphological and phylogenetic analyses revealed that sect. Polygonatum primarily maintains white and green floral color. In contrast, sect. Verticillata underwent floral color diversification from an ancestral white state, subsequently evolving polymorphic coloration. Within the three P. kingianum phenotypes examined, the white-flowered phenotype represents the ancestral state (consistent with sect. Verticillata), while red and green phenotypes comprise sister lineages.

Composition and comparison of repetitive sequences in P. kingianum with different floral colors

In the composition of simple sequence repeats (SSRs), 72 were identified in the red-flowered P. kingianum, 78 in the green-flowered phenotypes, and 79 in the white-flowered phenotypes, demonstrating comparable abundance. These SSRs were predominantly mononucleotide repeats, and A/T repeats were the most abundant (red: 39/54.17%, green: 44/55.70%, white: 43/55.13%). Dinucleotide repeats were the second most common, while there were no significant differences in the types or numbers of tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexanucleotide repeats. The SSRs were primarily distributed in the LSC region, while the IR region contained the fewest. Three P. kingianum flower color phenotypes contained approximately 8 SSRs in protein-coding genes. Among the other eight species analyzed, P. multiflorum had the fewest SSRs (66), whereas H. ogisui from the Heteropolygonatum genus had the most SSRs (81). Differences in SSR counts among Polygonatum species were attributed primarily to mononucleotide repeats, and some species also contained G/C repeats in addition to A/T repeats. Nevertheless, the positional distribution of these repeats within the chloroplast genomes showed no significant variation (Fig. 4).

In the chloroplast genomes of red- and green-flowered P. kingianum, 36 and 37 long interspersed repeat sequences were detected, respectively, whereas the white-flowered phenotype presented a greater number of 41. These repeats were primarily composed of palindromic and forward types, with similar numbers and lengths, mainly between 30 and 50 bp. All phenotypes also contained a palindromic repeat longer than 10,000 bp. The four long interspersed repeats in other species presented comparable trends. However, some species in the sect. Verticillata group presented significantly greater repeat counts (ranging from 60 to 65) than did P. kingianum and other species, whereas H. ogisui contained the fewest repeats, at just 29. Although there were compositional differences in the four long interspersed repeats among the species, none of them contained complementary or reverse repeats. Tandem repeat analysis revealed 34, 30, and 36 consensus sequences in red-, green-, and white-flowered P. kingianum, respectively. These sequences were similar in position and size, ranging primarily from 10 to 25 bp. Compared with those in P. kingianum, the number of tandem repeats detected in other species showed little variation (Fig. 5).

Comparative analysis of codon usage bias in P. kingianum with different floral colors

The chloroplast genomes of red- and green-flowered P. kingianum encode 26,073 amino acids, whereas the white-flowered phenotype encodes 26,113. Among the three phenotypes, leucine (Leu) was the most common amino acid, with 2673, 2672, and 2677 codons, respectively. In contrast, cysteine (Cys) was the least common, with 304, 304, and 303 codons, respectively. Among the 61 codons encoding 20 amino acids, 30 had RSCU values greater than 1, excluding methionine (Met) and tryptophan (Trp), which each had RSCU = 1. The codon AGA, encoding arginine (Arg), had the highest RSCU value, whereas CGC, also encoding arginine, was the least preferred, with an RSCU value of 0.3. Further analysis revealed that codons ending with A/U accounted for 70.08%, 70.05%, and 69.98% of the total codons in the red, green, and white phenotypes, respectively. Comparative analysis with eight other species revealed that H. ogisui encoded significantly fewer amino acids (24,789) than other Polygonatum species did. While minor differences in codon usage preferences were observed, other results were consistent with those of Polygonatum, where codons ending in A/U also accounted for approximately 70% of the total (Fig. 6).

Boundary analysis, similarity comparison, and high-variation region identification of the chloroplast genome

The chloroplast genome boundary regions are defined as SC-IRb (JLB), IRb-SSC (JSB), SSC-IRa (JSA), and IRa-LSC (JLA). Analysis of IR boundary contraction and expansion revealed changes in the rpl22, rps19, ycf1, ndhF, trnN, and psbA genes within the boundary regions. Notably, ycf1 and ndhF crossed the IR/SSC boundary. Among Polygonatum species, these gene changes were generally consistent. In H. ogisui, however, rps15 was also detected in the JSA region, whereas ycf1 was significantly reduced and presented a narrower span across the SSC region (Fig. 7).

To investigate the chloroplast genome similarities and variations across different floral phenotypes of P. kingianum, we analyzed 11 species using mVISTA, with red-flowered P. kingianum as a reference. Visualization of the full chloroplast genome revealed high similarity among the three floral phenotypes of P. kingianum. Compared with those of other species, variations were primarily concentrated in noncoding regions, with IR regions showing greater conservation than the LSC and SSC regions. Notable differences were observed in the rps16-psbK, atpF-atpH, and trnS-UGA-rps14 regions among the P. kingianum flower color phenotypes and other species. Additionally, the psbA gene in P. odoratum exhibited greater variation compared to other species, whereas the ycf1 gene in sect. Polygonatum presented substantial differences compared with those in other species. The psbN gene presented greater variation in sect. Verticillata than in P. kingianum and other taxa (Fig. 8).

Single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis of the chloroplast genomes of 11 species revealed 109 genes (Fig. 9). Among these genes, 41 exhibited nucleotide polymorphism (Pi) values of 0, and these genes primarily consisted of tRNA genes. Using a threshold of pi = 0.005, four highly mutated genes were identified: psbM (pi = 0.00658), rpl16 (pi = 0.01283), ccsA (pi = 0.00696), and rps15 (pi = 0.00539). Additionally, 145 intergenic regions (IGSs) were identified, with 25 regions showing pi = 0. Among these, three high-mutation regions were identified with a pi ≥ 0.03: psbI-trnS-GCU, rpl22-rps19, and the highest mutation rate was observed in the rps19-psbA region.

This brief examines the electric vehicle (EV) deployment strategies of the leading automakers in the Brazilian light-duty vehicle market and compares them with approaches adopted in other major regions.

The results point to a significant gap in EV sales and sales targets between Brazil and other major global markets: China, Europe, the United States, Japan, India, and the Republic of Korea. In these regions, stricter regulations and targeted incentives have led automakers to adopt firm electrification commitments. In Brazil, by contrast, strategies remain focused on flex-fuel (gasoline–ethanol) hybrid vehicles, which have substantially higher well-to-wheel emissions than battery electric counterparts. This is especially true in Brazil, where a high share of renewables in the electricity grid translates to particularly low well-to-wheel emissions. With this delayed transition to BEVs, the national automotive industry may set transportation emissions off-course and put achievement of Brazil’s net-zero by 2050 target at risk.

Figure. EV market share by automaker, Brazil vs. other major markets’ average, 2023

This analysis supports the following policy considerations:

The absence of EV-specific public policies has allowed automakers to continue prioritizing flex-fuel hybrids and internal combustion vehicles. Without more robust policy support for electrification, Brazil could struggle to meet its climate neutrality goals.

The Green Mobility and Innovation (MOVER) Program sets a 12% energy consumption reduction target by 2027 — less ambitious than comparable international programs — and maintains tax incentives for flex-fuel hybrids until 2026.

• To align Brazil with long-term climate ambitions, Brazil could consider adopting more restrictive corporate average emissions reduction targets in the second phase of the MOVER program (2027–2032), encouraging automakers to accelerate investment in electric vehicles. A feebate or tax-based mechanism could also be introduced to support adoption of electric vehicles.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in collaboration with the World Coastal Forum Coordination Group members Eco-Foundation Global and BirdLife International, hosted a session focused on aligning renewable energy development with biodiversity conservation and spatial planning. The dialogue fostered cross-sector cooperation and generated recommendations for sustainable coastal development. 

The Vice Mayor of Yancheng City, Mr. Wang Lianchun, the Chair of the World Coastal Forum Coordination Group, Mr Zhang Xinsheng, and IUCN Deputy Director General, Mr. Stewart Maginnis, delivered the opening remarks at the workshop. The International Advisor to the Forum, Mr Stanley Johnson, followed with a keynote speech on the international perspective of renewable energy development. 

 

 

Stewart Maginnis: “The green and just energy transition must work for both people and nature.” 

Opening the session, Stewart Maginnis, IUCN Deputy Director General, highlighted that the global shift to renewable energy must go beyond decarbonization to deliver equitable and nature-positive outcomes: 

“The Green, Just Energy Transition signifies more than the move from fossil fuels to renewables—it is our collective commitment to achieve this shift equitably for people and beneficially for nature,” Maginnis stated. 

“Tripling global renewable capacity by 2030 is critical, but this acceleration must avoid repeating past mistakes. We must integrate biodiversity safeguards and fair community engagement from the start.” 

Maginnis emphasized that limiting global warming is impossible without healthy ecosystems, noting that renewable energy infrastructure should be planned and deployed hand-in-hand with ecosystem protection. He presented IUCN’s programmatic approach to renewable energy and biodiversity, including initiatives that support Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), spatial planning, and nature-positive business models. 

“Renewable energy and biodiversity are not opposing goals—they are interdependent. A successful energy transition must be grounded in biodiversity protection, social equity, and sustainable growth,” he concluded.  

 

 

Rachel Asante-Owusu: “We must move from avoiding harm to delivering measurable biodiversity gains.” 

During the expert dialogue, Rachel Asante-Owusu, IUCN’s Global Lead on Energy Transition, underscored the urgent need for integrated approaches to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. 

Meeting the Paris Agreement target requires rapid renewable energy expansion, but this must align with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030,” she noted.

Asante-Owusu presented key findings from IUCN’s Renewables for Nature initiative, which has evolved from project-level mitigation guidance (Phase 1) to a broader focus on systemic solutions (Phase 2) that help governments, investors, and companies incorporate biodiversity into energy planning. 

She outlined technical guidance developed under the initiative, including pragmatic approaches to CIA and biodiversity enhancement in renewable projects: 

“Effective CIA and spatial planning are essential to meeting both climate and biodiversity targets. We must move toward more quantitative, ecologically realistic methods supported by better data collection and cross-sector collaboration.” 

On biodiversity enhancement, she emphasized: 

“Enhancement measures must be additional to mitigation and based on evidence. They should be measurable, participatory, and deliver long-term benefits for ecosystems and communities. This approach allows renewable energy projects to actively contribute to the nature-positive agenda.” 

 

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hyundai Motor America was recently honored with the 2025 Platinum Pinnacle Marketing and Communications Award for its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education initiatives in Coastal Georgia. The area is home to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), Hyundai Motor Group’s first dedicated electric vehicle mass-production plant, located in Bryan County, Georgia.

“Hyundai is proud to receive the Platinum Pinnacle Marketing and Communications Award for our STEM programming in Coastal Georgia,” said Brandon Ramirez, director, corporate social responsibility, Hyundai Motor North America. “Education prepares the next generation of innovators, engineers, and leaders. By helping more students participate in STEM programs, we hope to open new pathways towards exciting careers, including those in the automotive industry.”

Hyundai, in collaboration with the SAE Foundation^SM, introduced SAE International’s A World In Motion® STEM program in Bryan County schools last year and continues it with the Skimmer Challenge, an inquiry-based activity that teaches STEM concepts while encouraging teamwork and critical thinking. Additionally, Hyundai expanded its partnership with the H2GP Foundation for the Hyundai RC program, sponsoring student teams for the Georgia Hydrogen Grand Prix, where they built and raced hydrogen-powered RC cars, fostering interest in renewable energy and engineering. These hands-on programs aim to boost student participation in STEM, connect classroom learning to real-world topics like clean energy and mobility, and prepare students for future careers.

From AI-powered innovations to purpose-driven campaigns, the Pinnacle Awards spotlight the creative and strategic work shaping the future of marketing, public relations, communications, and social media.

Hyundai Hope
Hyundai Hope is the corporate social responsibility initiative from Hyundai Motor North America, committed to the principle of Progress for Humanity and the goal of improving the well-being of society. Hyundai Hope dedicates time, talent, and resources to nonprofit organizations that support health, safety, education, and sustainability, fostering positive growth in communities. For more information, visit www.HyundaiHope.com .

Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company’s Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai’s 850 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a published economic impact report. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.

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