Mechanism of genuineness of liquorice Glycyrrhiza uralensis based on CNVs of HMGR, SQS1 and β-AS gene

This study is to reveal the correlation between CNVs of HMGR, SQS1, β-AS gene and genuineness of liquorice.  Real-time PCR was used to detect the copy number of HMGR, SQS1, β-AS gene of liquorice.  According to the results, the range of the copy number variation of HMGR gene was between 1 and 3, the copy number of SQS1 gene was 1 or 2, and the copy number of β-AS gene was only 1.  On the basis of the copy number of HMGR, SQS1 and β-AS gene, there were five groups, type A (2+1+1), type B (1+1+1), type C (3+2+1), type D (2+2+1) and type E (3+1+1).  There were two types, type A and type B, in Hangjinqi of Inner Mongolia, and the ratio of A to B was 1∶1.3.  There were also two types, type A and type B, in Chifeng of Inner Mongolia, and the ratio of A to B was 3∶1.  There were four types, type A, type B, type C and type D, in Yanchi of Ningxia province, and the ratio of A to B was 1∶5.1.  There were three types, type A, type B and type E, in Minqin of Gansu province, and the ratio of A to B was 2∶1.  So CNVs mainly existed in the liquorice from Ningxia and Gansu provinces.  While the genetic background of liquorice from Hangjinqi of Inner Mongolia was stabilized.  The results of the experiment proved that the correlation between CNVs and origins was one of the reasons of genuineness of liquorice.