Nucleotide sequence of the D-loop region of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) mitochondrial genome

We have amplified, by the polymerase chain reaction, and have sequenced theD-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA from the sperm whale (Physetermacrocephalus). The sperm whale D-loop was aligned with D- loop sequencesfrom four other cetaceans (Commerson's dolphin, orca, fin whale, and minkewhale) and an out-group (cow). This alignment showed the sperm whalesequence to be larger than that of other cetaceans. In addition, somesequence blocks were highly conserved among all six species, suggestingroles in the functioning of mitochondrial DNA. Other blocks that werepreviously reported to be well conserved among cetaceans showed littlesequence conservation with the sperm whale D-loop, which argues against thefunctional importance of these sequence blocks in cetaceans.