Unique Mitochondrial Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Demonstrate Resolution Potential to Discriminate Theileria parva Vaccine and Buffalo-Derived Strains

A Comparative Genomics Approach for Analysis of Complete Mitogenomes of Five Actinidiaceae Plants

Actinidiaceae, an economically important plant family, includes the Actinidia, Clematoclethra and Saurauia genus. Kiwifruit, with remarkably high vitamin C content, is an endemic species widely distributed in China with high economic value. Although many Actinidiaceae chloroplast genomes have been reported, few complete mitogenomes of Actinidiaceae have been studied. Here, complete circular mitogenomes of the four kiwifruit species and Saurauia tristyla were assembled. Codon usage, sequence repeats, RNA editing, gene transfers, selective pressure, and phylogenetic relationships in the four kiwifruit species and S. tristyla were comparatively analyzed. This research will contribute to the study of phylogenetic relationships within Actiniaceae and molecular barcoding in kiwifruit.

Assembly and comparative analysis of the first complete mitochondrial genome of Acer truncatum Bunge: a woody oil-tree species producing nervonic acid

BACKGROUND

Acer truncatum (purpleblow maple) is a woody tree species that produces seeds with high levels of valuable fatty acids (especially nervonic acid). The species is admired as a landscape plant with high developmental prospects and scientific research value. The A. truncatum chloroplast genome has recently been reported; however, the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) is still unexplored.

RESULTS

We characterized the A. truncatum mitogenome, which was assembled using reads from PacBio and Illumina sequencing platforms, performed a comparative analysis against different species of Acer. The circular mitogenome of A. truncatum has a length of 791,052 bp, with a base composition of 27.11% A, 27.21% T, 22.79% G, and 22.89% C. The A. truncatum mitogenome contains 62 genes, including 35 protein-coding genes, 23 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. We also examined codon usage, sequence repeats, RNA editing and selective pressure in the A. truncatum mitogenome. To determine the evolutionary and taxonomic status of A. truncatum, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis based on the mitogenomes of A. truncatum and 25 other taxa. In addition, the gene migration from chloroplast and nuclear genomes to the mitogenome were analyzed. Finally, we developed a novel NAD1 intron indel marker for distinguishing several Acer species.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we assembled and annotated the mitogenome of A. truncatum, a woody oil-tree species producing nervonic acid. The results of our analyses provide comprehensive information on the A. truncatum mitogenome, which would facilitate evolutionary research and molecular barcoding in Acer.

Molecular Phylogenetics and Mitochondrial Evolution

The myth of a “typical” mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is a rock-hard belief in the field of genetics, at least for the animal kingdom [...]