The complete mitochondrial genome of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae: gene order and trn gene clusters reveal a common evolutionary course for all Sordariomycetes, while intergenic regions show variation

The mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae, with a total size of 24,673 bp, was one of the smallest known mtDNAs of Pezizomycotina. It contained the 14 typical genes coding for proteins related to oxidative phosphorylation, the two rRNA genes, a single intron that harbored an intronic ORF coding for a putative ribosomal protein (rps) within the large rRNA gene (rnl), and a set of 24 tRNA genes which recognized codons for all amino acids, except proline and valine. Gene order comparison with all known mtDNAs of Sordariomycetes illustrated a highly conserved genome organization for all the protein- and rRNA-coding genes, as well as three clusters of tRNA genes. By considering all mitochondrial essential protein-coding genes as one unit a phylogenetic study of these small genomes strongly supported the common evolutionary course of Sordariomycetes (100% bootstrap support) and highlighted the advantages of analyzing small genomes (mtDNA) over single genes. In addition, comparative analysis of three intergenic regions demonstrated sequence variability that can be exploited for intra- and inter-specific identification of Metarhizium. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Complete Mitochondrial DNA Sequence of Tigriopus japonicus (Crustacea: Copepoda)

The complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome was determined for a harpacticoid copepod, Tigriopus japonicus (Crustacea), using an approach that employs a long polymerase chain reaction technique and primer walking. Although the genome (14,628 bp) contained the same set of 37 genes (2 ribosomal RNA, 22 transfer RNA, and 13 protein-coding genes) as found in other metazoan animals, none of the previously reported gene orders were comparable to that of T. japonicus. Furthermore, all genes were encoded on one strand, unlike the mitochondrial genomes of most metazoan animals. Size reductions were notable for tRNA and rRNA genes, resulting in one of the smallest mitochondrial genomes in the arthropod lineage. Although it appears that such large-scale gene rearrangements have occurred in the ancestral species of T. japonicus, none of the proposed mechanisms parsimoniously account for this eccentric gene arrangement.     

Gene rearrangements in snake mitochondrial genomes: highly concerted evolution of control-region-like sequences duplicated and inserted into a tRNA gene cluster

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions corresponding to two major tRNA gene clusters were amplified and sequenced for the Japanese pit viper, himehabu. In one of these clusters, which in most vertebrates characterized to date contains three tightly connected genes for tRNA(Ile), and tRNA(Gln), and tRNA(Met), a sequence of approximately 1.3 kb was found to be inserted between the genes for tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Gln). The insert consists of a control-region-like sequence possessing some conserved sequence blocks, and short flanking sequences which may be folded into tRNA(Pro), tRNA(Phe), and tRNA(Leu) genes. Several other snakes belonging to different families were also found to possess a control-region-like sequence and tRNA(Leu) gene between the tRNA(Ile)and tRNA(Gln) genes. We also sequenced a region surrounded by genes for cytochrome b and 12S rRNA, where the control region and genes for tRNA(Pro) and tRNA(Phe) are normally located in the mtDNAs of most vertebrates. In this region of three examined snakes, a control-region- like sequence exists that is almost completely identical to the one found between the tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Gln) genes. The mtDNAs of these snakes thus possess two nearly identical control-region-like sequences which are otherwise divergent to a large extent between the species. These results suggest that the duplicate state of the control-region- like sequences has long persisted in snake mtDNAs, possibly since the original insertion of the control-region-like sequence and tRNA(Leu) gene into the tRNA gene cluster, which occurred in the early stage of the divergence of snakes. It is also suggested that the duplicated control-region-like sequences at two distant locations of mtDNA have evolved concertedly by a mechanism such as frequent gene conversion. The secondary structures of the determined tRNA genes point to the operation of simplification pressure on the T psi C arm of snake mitochondrial tRNAs.      

Quantifying the Elevation of Mitochondrial DNA Evolutionary Substitution Rates Over Nuclear Rates in the Intertidal Copepod Tigriopus californicus

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes generally evolve rapidly in animals, but considerable variation in the rates of evolution of mtDNA occurs among taxa. Higher levels of mutation will tend to increase the amount of polymorphism, which should also scale with population size, but there are mixed signals from previous studies on the evolutionary outcomes of the interactions of these processes. The copepod Tigriopus californicus provides an interesting model in which to study the evolution of mtDNA because it has high levels of divergence among populations and there is the suggestion that this divergence could be involved in reproductive isolation. This species also appears to have an elevated mtDNA substitution rate, but previous studies did not provide an accurate measurement. This article examines the rate of mtDNA substitution versus nuclear substitution in T. californicus and finds that the mtDNA rate for synonymous sites averages 55-fold higher, a level that exceeds the rates found in most other invertebrates. Levels of polymorphism are also examined in both mtDNA and nuclear genes, and it is shown that the effective population size of mtDNA genes is much lower than that of nuclear genes. In addition, no correlation between polymorphism in mtDNA and nuclear genes is found across populations, which suggest factors other than demography may shape polymorphism in this species. The results from this study suggest that mtDNA is evolving at a very rapid rate in this copepod species, and this could increase the likelihood that mtDNA evolution is involved in the generation of reproductive isolation.     

Complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Tetrahymena pyriformis and comparison with Paramecium aurelia mitochondrial DNA

We report the complete nucleotide sequence of the Tetrahymena pyriformis mitochondrial genome and a comparison of its gene content and organization with that of Paramecium aurelia mtDNA. T. pyriformis mtDNA is a linear molecule of 47,172 bp (78.7 % A+T) excluding telomeric sequences (identical tandem repeats of 31 bp at each end of the genome). In addition to genes encoding the previously described bipartite small and large subunit rRNAs, the T. pyriformis mitochondrial genome contains 21 protein-coding genes that are clearly homologous to genes of defined function in other mtDNAs, including one (yejR) that specifies a component of a cytochrome c biogenesis pathway. As well, T. pyriformis mtDNA contains 22 open reading frames of unknown function larger than 60 codons, potentially specifying proteins ranging in size from 74 to 1386 amino acid residues. A total of 13 of these open reading frames ("ciliate-specific") are found in P. aurelia mtDNA, whereas the remaining nine appear to be unique to T. pyriformis; however, of the latter, five are positionally equivalent and of similar size in the two ciliate mitochondrial genomes, suggesting they may also be homologous, even though this is not evident from sequence comparisons. Only eight tRNA genes encoding seven distinct tRNAs are found in T. pyriformis mtDNA, formally confirming a long-standing proposal that most T. pyriformis mitochondrial tRNAs are nucleus-encoded species imported from the cytosol. Atypical features of mitochondrial gene organization and expression in T. pyriformis mtDNA include split and rearranged large subunit rRNA genes, as well as a split nad1 gene (encoding subunit 1 of NADH dehydrogenase of respiratory complex I) whose two segments are located on and transcribed from opposite strands, as is also the case in P. aurelia. Gene content and arrangement are very similar in T. pyriformis and P. aurelia mtDNAs, the two differing by a limited number of duplication, inversion and rearrangement events. Phylogenetic analyses using concatenated sequences of several mtDNA-encoded proteins provide high bootstrap support for the monophyly of alveolates (ciliates, dinoflagellates and apicomplexans) and slime molds.     

Seventeen new complete mtDNA sequences reveal extensive mitochondrial genome evolution within the Demospongiae

Two major transitions in animal evolution--the origins of multicellularity and bilaterality--correlate with major changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) organization. Demosponges, the largest class in the phylum Porifera, underwent only the first of these transitions and their mitochondrial genomes display a peculiar combination of ancestral and animal-specific features. To get an insight into the evolution of mitochondrial genomes within the Demospongiae, we determined 17 new mtDNA sequences from this group and analyzing them with five previously published sequences. Our analysis revealed that all demosponge mtDNAs are 16- to 25-kbp circular molecules, containing 13-15 protein genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 2-27 tRNA genes. All but four pairs of sampled genomes had unique gene orders, with the number of shared gene boundaries ranging from 1 to 41. Although most demosponge species displayed low rates of mitochondrial sequence evolution, a significant acceleration in evolutionary rates occurred in the G1 group (orders Dendroceratida, Dictyoceratida, and Verticillitida). Large variation in mtDNA organization was also observed within the G0 group (order Homosclerophorida) including gene rearrangements, loss of tRNA genes, and the presence of two introns in Plakortis angulospiculatus. While introns are rare in modern-day demosponge mtDNA, we inferred that at least one intron was present in cox1 of the common ancestor of all demosponges. Our study uncovered an extensive mitochondrial genomic diversity within the Demospongiae. Although all sampled mitochondrial genomes retained some ancestral features, including a minimally modified genetic code, conserved structures of tRNA genes, and presence of multiple non-coding regions, they vary considerably in their size, gene content, gene order, and the rates of sequence evolution. Some of the changes in demosponge mtDNA, such as the loss of tRNA genes and the appearance of hairpin-containing repetitive elements, occurred in parallel in several lineages and suggest general trends in demosponge mtDNA evolution.     

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of the Hornwort <Emphasis Type="Italic">Megaceros</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">aenigmaticus</Emphasis> Shows a Mixed Mode of Conservative Yet Dynamic Evolution in Early Land Plant Mitochondrial Genomes

Land plants possess some of the most unusual mitochondrial genomes among eukaryotes. However, in early land plants these genomes resemble those of green and red algae or early eukaryotes. The question of when during land plant evolution the dramatic change in mtDNAs occurred remains unanswered. Here we report the first completely sequenced mitochondrial genome of the hornwort, Megaceros aenigmaticus, a member of the sister group of vascular plants. It is a circular molecule of 184,908 base pairs, with 32 protein genes, 3 rRNA genes, 17 tRNA genes, and 30 group II introns. The genome contains many genes arranged in the same order as in those of a liverwort, a moss, several green and red algae, and Reclinomonas americana, an early-branching eukaryote with the most ancestral form of mtDNA. In particular, the gene order between mtDNAs of the hornwort and Physcomitrella patens (moss) differs by only 8 inversions and translocations. However, the hornwort mtDNA possesses 4 derived features relative to green alga mtDNAs—increased genome size, RNA editing, intron gains, and gene losses—which were all likely acquired during the origin and early evolution of land plants. Overall, this genome and those of other 2 bryophytes show that mitochondrial genomes in early land plants, unlike their seed plant counterparts, exhibit a mixed mode of conservative yet dynamic evolution. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Libo Li and Bin Wang contributed equally to this work.     

Comparative analysis of gender-associated complete mitochondrial genomes in marine mussels (Mytilus spp.)

Marine mussels of the genus Mytilus have an unusual mode of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) transmission termed doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI). Female mussels are homoplasmic for the F mitotype, which is inherited maternally, while males are usually heteroplasmic, carrying a mixture of the maternal F mitotype and the paternally inherited M genome. Two classes of M genomes have been observed: "standard" M genomes and "recently masculinized" M genomes. The latter are more similar to F genomes at the sequence level but are transmitted paternally like standard M genomes. In this study we report the complete sequences of two standard male M. edulis and one recently masculinized male M. trossulus mitochondrial genome. A comparative analysis, including the previously sequenced M. edulis F and M. galloprovincialis F and M mtDNAs, reveals that these genomes are identical in gene order, but highly divergent in nucleotide and amino acid sequence. The large amount (>20%) of nucleotide substitutions that fall in coding regions implies that there are several amino acid replacements between the F and M genomes, which likely have an impact on the structural and functional properties of the mitochondrial proteome. Correlation of the divergence rate of different protein-coding genes indicates that mtDNA-encoded proteins of the M genome are still under selective constraints, although less highly than genes of the F genome. The mosaic F/M control region of the masculinized F genome provides evidence for lineage-specific sequences that may be responsible for the different mode of transmission genetics. This analysis shows the value of comparative genomics to better understand the mechanisms of maintenance and segregation of mtDNA sequence variants in mytilid mussels.     

Mitochondrial DNA in the sea urchin Arbacia lixula: evolutionary inferences from nucleotide sequence analysis.

From the stirodont Arbacia lixula we determined the sequence of 5,127 nucleotides of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encompassing 18 tRNAs, two complete coding genes, parts of three other coding genes, and part of the 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). The sequence confirms that the organization of mtDNA is conserved within echinoids. Furthermore, it underlines the following peculiar features of sea urchin mtDNA: the clustering of tRNAs, the short noncoding regulatory sequence, and the separation by the ND1 and ND2 genes of the two rRNA genes. Comparison with the orthologous sequences from the camarodont species Paracentrotus lividus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus revealed that (1) echinoids have an extra piece on the amino terminus of the ND5 gene that is probably the remnant of an old leucine tRNA gene; (2) third-position codon nucleotide usage has diverged between A. lixula and the camarodont species to a significant extent, implying different directional mutational pressures; and (3) the stirodont-camarodont divergence occurred twice as long ago as did the P. lividus-S. purpuratus divergence.     

Complete DNA Sequence of the Mitochondrial Genome of the Black Chiton, Katharina Tunicata

The DNA sequence of the 15,532-base pair (bp) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the chiton Katharina tunicata has been determined. The 37 genes typical of metazoan mtDNA are present: 13 for protein subunits involved in oxidative phosphorylation, 2 for rRNAs and 22 for tRNAs. The gene arrangement resembles those of arthropods much more than that of another mollusc, the bivalve Mytilus edulis. Most genes abut directly or overlap, and abbreviated stop codons are inferred for four genes. Four junctions between adjacent pairs of protein genes lack intervening tRNA genes; however, at each of these junctions there is a sequence immediately adjacent to the start codon of the downstream gene that is capable of forming a stem-and-loop structure. Analysis of the tRNA gene sequences suggests that the D arm is unpaired in tRNA(ser(AGN)), which is typical of metazoan mtDNAs, and also in tRNA(ser(UCN)), a condition found previously only in nematode mtDNAs. There are two additional sequences in Katharina mtDNA that can be folded into structures resembling tRNAs; whether these are functional genes is unknown. All possible codons except the stop codons TAA and TAG are used in the protein-encoding genes, and Katharina mtDNA appears to use the same variation of the mitochondrial genetic code that is used in Drosophila and Mytilus. Translation initiates at the codons ATG, ATA and GTG. A + T richness appears to have affected codon usage patterns and, perhaps, the amino acid composition of the encoded proteins. A 142-bp non-coding region between tRNA(glu) and CO3 contains a 72-bp tract of alternating A and T.     

Mitochondrial genome sequences of representatives of three families of scorpionflies (Order Mecoptera) and evolution in a major duplication of coding sequence

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of a hangingfly, Bittacus pilicornis (Mecoptera: Bittacidae), a snow scorpion fly, Boreus elegans (Mecoptera: Boreidae), and a nearly complete sequence from another scorpionfly species, Microchorista philpotti (Mecoptera: Nannochoristidae) were determined. The coding sequence of all three genomes includes the 37 genes normally found in insect mtDNAs, in the same gene order as first described in Drosophila. In addition to the standard set of genes, the Microchorista sequence includes a large duplication of the coding region. The duplication is at least 4?kb (and may be much larger) and includes the remnants of three protein-coding genes and seven tRNA genes. The duplication evidently arose as a single event, and the duplicated region can be aligned in its entirety with the corresponding region of the functional genome. Although most of the genes contain defects that render them nonfunctional, analysis shows that the protein-coding genes in the duplicated region evolved for a considerable period under constraints expected of functional protein-coding genes. It is evident, therefore, that for a period two copies of some of the mitochondrial genes were functional in this species, including genes coding for proteins.     

Mitochondrial DNA nucleoid structure

Eukaryotic cells are characterized by their content of intracellular membrane-bound organelles, including mitochondria as well as nuclei. These two DNA-containing compartments employ two distinct strategies for storage and readout of genetic information. The diploid nuclei of human cells contain about 6 billion base pairs encoding about 25,000 protein-encoding genes, averaging 120 kB/gene, packaged in chromatin arranged as a regular nucleosomal array. In contrast, human cells contain hundreds to thousands of copies of a ca.16 kB mtDNA genome tightly packed with 13 protein-coding genes along with rRNA and tRNA genes required for their expression. The mtDNAs are dispersed throughout the mitochondrial network as histone-free nucleoids containing single copies or small clusters of genomes. This review will summarize recent advances in understanding the microscopic structure and molecular composition of mtDNA nucleoids in higher eukaryotes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondrial Gene Expression.     

A low rate of replacement substitutions in two major Ovis aries mitochondrial genomes

Two mitochondrial DNA molecules which represent major Ovis aries mtDNA haplogroups were cloned and comparatively sequenced to assess the degree of intraspecific variation. A total of 9623 bp that correspond to 58% of both mitochondrial genomes were determined. The control region, the Cyt b , ND2, ND3, ND4L, COIII and 12 tRNA genes, including the origin of L-strand replication, were completely characterized. Partial sequence information was obtained from the 12S and 16S rRNA and an additional six protein coding and six tRNA genes. The control regions of the two mtDNAs showed a nucleotide divergence of 4·34% while coding regions differed by 0·44%. The number of sheep coding region substitutions was similar to values observed in intraspecific comparisons of mitochondrial DNAs that represent remote points in genealogical trees of mice and humans. However, replacement substitutions were only observed at ∼30% of the rate in mice and ∼20% of the rate in humans. Nucleotide substitutions with a potential for phenotypic effects were found in the 12S and 16S rRNA and in the ND1 and COIII genes.     

Genetic characterization of the mitochondrial DNA from Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Crustacea; Copepoda). A new gene organization revealed

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, is 15445 bp. It includes the genes coding for cytochrome B (Cyt B), ATPase subunit 6 and 8 (A6 and A8), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1-6 and 4L (ND1, ND2, ND3, ND4, ND4L, ND5 and ND6), cytochrome c oxidase subunits I-III (COI, COII and COIII), two rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) and 22 tRNAs. Two copies of tRNA-Lys are present in the mtDNA of L. salmonis, while tRNA-Cys was not identified. Both DNA strands contain coding regions in the salmon louse, in contrast to the other copepod characterized Tigriopus japonicus, but only a few genes overlap. In vertebrates, ND4 and ND4L are transcribed as one bicistronic mRNA, and are therefore localized together. The same organization is also found in crustaceans, with the exceptions of T. japonicus, Neocalanus cristatus and L. salmonis that deviate from this pattern. Another exception of the L. salmonis mtDNA is that A6 and A8 do not overlap, but are separated by several genes. The protein-coding genes have a bias towards AT-rich codons. The mitochondrial gene order in L. salmonis differs significantly from the copepods T. japonicus, Eucalanus bungii, N. cristatus and the other 13 crustaceans previously characterized. Furthermore, the mitochondrial rRNA genes are encoded on opposite strands in L. salmonis. This has not been found in any other arthropods, but has been reported in two starfish species. In a phylogenetic analysis, using an alignment of mitochondrial protein sequences, L. salmonis groups together with T. japonicus, being distant relatives to the other crustaceans.