Dissecting the major African snake radiation: a molecular phylogeny of the Lamprophiidae Fitzinger (Serpentes, Caenophidia)

Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1945 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
NICOLAS VIDAL ◽  
WILLIAM R. BRANCH ◽  
OLIVIER S. G. PAUWELS ◽  
S. BLAIR HEDGES ◽  
DONALD G. BROADLEY ◽  
...  

The Elapoidea includes the Elapidae and a large (~60 genera, 280 sp.) and mostly African (including Madagascar) radiation termed Lamprophiidae by Vidal et al. (2007), that includes at least four major groups: the psammophiines, atractaspidines, lamprophiines and pseudoxyrhophiines. In this work, we reviewed the recent taxonomic history of the lamprophiids, and built a data set including two nuclear protein-coding genes (c-mos and RAG2), two mitochondrial rRNA genes (12S and 16S rRNA) and two mitochondrial protein-coding genes (cytochrome b and ND4) for 85 species belonging to 45 genera (thus representing about 75% of the generic diversity and 30% of the specific diversity of the radiation), in order to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of this large and neglected group at the subfamilial and generic levels. To this aim, 480 new sequences were produced. The vast majority of the investigated genera fall into four main monophyletic clusters, that correspond to the four subfamilies mentioned above, although the content of atractaspidines, lamprophiines and pseudoxyrhophiines is revised. We confirm the polyphyly of the genus Stenophis, and the relegation of the genus name Dromophis to the synonymy of the genus name Psammophis. Gonionotophis brussauxi is nested within Mehelya. The genus Lamprophis Fitzinger, 1843 is paraphyletic with respect to Lycodonomorphus Fitzinger, 1843. Lamprophis swazicus is the sister-group to Hormonotus modestus, and may warrant generic recognition. Molecular data do not support the traditional placement of Micrelaps within the Atractaspidinae, but its phylogenetic position, along with that of Oxyrhabdium (previously considered to belong to the Xenodermatidae), requires additional molecular data and they are both treated as Elapoidea incertae sedis. The interrelationships of Psammophiinae, Atractaspidinae, Lamprophiinae, Pseudoxyrhophiinae, Prosymna (13 sp.), Pseudaspis (1 sp.) and Pythonodipsas (1 sp.), Buhoma (2 species), and Psammodynastes (1 sp.) remain unresolved. Finally, the genus Lycognathophis, endemic to the Seychelles, does not belong to the African radiation, but to the Natricidae.

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin-Yin Cai ◽  
Shi-Qi Shen ◽  
Li-Xu Lu ◽  
Kenneth B. Storey ◽  
Dan-Na Yu ◽  
...  

The family Pyxicephalidae including two subfamilies (Cacosterninae and Pyxicephalinae) is an ecologically important group of frogs distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its phylogenetic position among the Anura has remained uncertain. The present study determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Pyxicephalus adspersus, the first representative mitochondrial genome from the Pyxicephalinae, and reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships within Ranoidae using 10 mitochondrial protein-coding genes of 59 frog species. The P. adspersus mitochondrial genome showed major gene rearrangement and an exceptionally long length that is not shared with other Ranoidae species. The genome is 24,317 bp in length, and contains 15 protein-coding genes (including extra COX3 and Cyt b genes), four rRNA genes (including extra 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes), 29 tRNA genes (including extra tRNALeu (UAG), tRNALeu (UUR), tRNAThr, tRNAPro, tRNAPhe, tRNAVal, tRNAGln genes) and two control regions (CRs). The Dimer-Mitogenome and Tandem duplication and random loss models were used to explain these gene arrangements. Finally, both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses supported the conclusion that Pyxicephalidae was monophyletic and that Pyxicephalidae was the sister clade of (Petropedetidae + Ptychadenidae).


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e10364
Author(s):  
Natalia I. Abramson ◽  
Fedor N. Golenishchev ◽  
Semen Yu. Bodrov ◽  
Olga V. Bondareva ◽  
Evgeny A. Genelt-Yanovskiy ◽  
...  

In this article, we present the nearly complete mitochondrial genome of the Subalpine Kashmir vole Hyperacrius fertilis (Arvicolinae, Cricetidae, Rodentia), assembled using data from Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the DNA from a century-old museum specimen. De novo assembly consisted of 16,341 bp and included all mitogenome protein-coding genes as well as 12S and 16S RNAs, tRNAs and D-loop. Using the alignment of protein-coding genes of 14 previously published Arvicolini tribe mitogenomes, seven Clethrionomyini mitogenomes, and also Ondatra and Dicrostonyx outgroups, we conducted phylogenetic reconstructions based on a dataset of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) under maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. Phylogenetic analyses robustly supported the phylogenetic position of this species within the tribe Arvicolini. Among the Arvicolini, Hyperacrius represents one of the early-diverged lineages. This result of phylogenetic analysis altered the conventional view on phylogenetic relatedness between Hyperacrius and Alticola and prompted the revision of morphological characters underlying the former assumption. Morphological analysis performed here confirmed molecular data and provided additional evidence for taxonomic replacement of the genus Hyperacrius from the tribe Clethrionomyini to the tribe Arvicolini.


IMA Fungus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Zhang ◽  
Yong-Jie Zhang

Abstract Fungal mitochondrial genes are often invaded by group I or II introns, which represent an ideal marker for understanding fungal evolution. A standard nomenclature of mitochondrial introns is needed to avoid confusion when comparing different fungal mitogenomes. Currently, there has been a standard nomenclature for introns present in rRNA genes, but there is a lack of a standard nomenclature for introns present in protein-coding genes. In this study, we propose a new nomenclature system for introns in fungal mitochondrial protein-coding genes based on (1) three-letter abbreviation of host scientific name, (2) host gene name, (3), one capital letter P (for group I introns), S (for group II introns), or U (for introns with unknown types), and (4) intron insertion site in the host gene according to the cyclosporin-producing fungus Tolypocladium inflatum. The suggested nomenclature was proved feasible by naming introns present in mitogenomes of 16 fungi of different phyla, including both basal and higher fungal lineages although minor adjustment of the nomenclature is needed to fit certain special conditions. The nomenclature also had the potential to name plant/protist/animal mitochondrial introns. We hope future studies follow the proposed nomenclature to ensure direct comparison across different studies.


Author(s):  
Liyan Qu ◽  
Heng Zhang ◽  
Fengying Zhang ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Fenghua Tang ◽  
...  

Background: Genome-scale approaches have played a significant role in the analysis of evolutionary relationships. Because of rich polymorphisms, high evolutionary rate and rare recombination, mitochondrial DNA sequences are commonly considered as effective markers for estimating population genetics, evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships. Flying fishes are important components of epipelagic ecosystems. Up to now, only few complete mitochondrial genomes of flying fishes have been reported. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of the Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus japonicus and Hirundichthys rondeletii had been determined. Methods: Based on the published mitogenome of Cheilopogon atrisignis (GenBank: KU360729), fifteen pairs of primers were designed by the software Primer Premier 5.0 to get the complete mitochondrial genomes of two flying fishes. According to the reported data, the phylogenetic position of two flying fishes were detected using the conserved 12 protein-coding genes. Result: The complete mitochondrial genomes of Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus japonicus and Hirundichthys rondeletii are determined. They are 16532bp and 16525bp in length, respectively. And they both consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and a control region. The OL regions are conserved in these two flying fishes and might have no function. From the tree topologies, we found C.p. japonicus and H. rondeletii clustered in a group. The findings of the study would contribute to the phylogenetic classification and the genetic conservation management of C.p. japonicus and H. rondeletii.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongmin Li ◽  
Huabin Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyou Wu ◽  
Hui Xue ◽  
Peng Yan ◽  
...  

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Odorrana schmackeri (family Ranidae). The O. schmackeri mitogenome (18 302 bp) contained 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 21 tRNA genes and a single control region (CR). In the new mitogenome, the distinctive feature is the loss of tRNA-His, which could be explained by a hypothesis of gene substitution. The new sequence data was used to assess the phylogenetic relationships among 23 ranid species mostly from China using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). The phylogenetic analyses support two families (Ranidae, Dicroglossidae) for Chinese ranids. In Ranidae, we support the genus Amolops should be retained in the subfamily Raninae rather than in a distinct subfamily Amolopinae of its own. Meanwhile, the monophyly of the genus Odorrana was supported. Within Dicroglossidae, four tribes were well supported including Occidozygini, Dicroglossini, Limnonectini and Paini. More mitochondrial genomes and nuclear genes are required to decisively evaluate phylogenetic relationships of ranids.


ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 754 ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
Rui-Rui Lin ◽  
Yao-Yao Zhang ◽  
Kun-Jie Hu ◽  
Ya-Qi Zhao ◽  
...  

In the present study, the complete mitogenome of Theretrajaponica was sequenced and compared with other sequenced mitogenomes of Sphingidae species. The mitogenome of T.japonica, containing 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes) and a region rich in adenine and thymine (AT-rich region), is a circular molecule with 15,399 base pairs (bp) in length. The order and orientation of the genes in the mitogenome are similar to those of other sequenced mitogenomes of Sphingidae species. All 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) are initiated by ATN codons except for the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) which is initiated by the codon CGA as observed in other lepidopteran insects. Cytochrome C oxidase subunit 2 gene (cox2) has the incomplete termination codon T and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene (nad1) terminates with TAG while the remainder terminates with TAA. Additionally, the codon distributions of the 13 PCGs revealed that Ile and Leu2 are the most frequently used codon families and codons CGG, CGC, CCG, CAG, and AGG are absent. The 431 bp AT-rich region includes the motif ATAGA followed by a 23 bp poly-T stretch, short tandem repeats (STRs) of TC and TA, two copies of a 28 bp repeat ‘ATTAAATTAATAAATTAA TATATTAATA’ and a poly-A element. Phylogenetic analyses within Sphingidae confirmed that T.japonica belongs to the Macroglossinae and showed that the phylogenetic relationship of T.japonica is closer to Ampelophagarubiginosa than Daphnisnerii. Phylogenetic analyses within Theretra demonstrate that T.japonica, T.jugurtha, T.suffusa, and T.capensis are clustered into one clade.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 766
Author(s):  
Karen Salazar ◽  
Romain Nattier

Natural history collections house an important source of genetic data from yet unexplored biological diversity. Molecular data from museum specimens remain underexploited, which is mainly due to the degradation of DNA from specimens over time. However, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology can now be used to sequence “old” specimens. Indeed, many of these specimens are unique samples of nomenclatural types and can be crucial for resolving systematic or biogeographic scientific questions. Two ladybird beetle specimens from Patagonia corresponding to a new species of the genus Eriopis Mulsant were found in the collections of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Paris. Here, we describe Eriopis patagonia Salazar, sp. nov. Total DNA of one of the two specimens was sequenced by NGS using a paired-end Illumina approach. We reconstruct and characterize the mitochondrial genome of this species (16,194 bp). Then, the protein-coding genes (PCGs) and ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) were used to infer by maximum likelihood and Bayesian Inference the phylogenetic position of E. patagonia among 27 representatives of Coccinellidae. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the position of Eriopis as sister group to Cycloneda Crotch. Hence, we highlight the high potential of sequencing technology for extracting molecular information from old specimens, which are used here for the systematic study of a genus, while demonstrating the importance of preserving biological collections.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis V. Lavrov ◽  
Manuel Maldonado ◽  
Thierry Perez ◽  
Christine Morrow

AbstractClass Demospongiae – the largest in the phylum Porifera (Sponges) – encompasses 7,581 accepted species across the three recognized subclasses: Keratosa, Verongimorpha, and Heteroscleromorpha. The latter subclass contains the majority of demosponge species and was previously subdivided into subclasses Heteroscleromorpha sensu stricto and Haploscleromorpha. The current classification of demosponges is the result of nearly three decades of molecular studies that culminated in a formal proposal of a revised taxonomy (Morrow and Cardenas, 2015). However, because most of the molecular work utilized partial sequences of nuclear rRNA genes, this classification scheme needs to be tested by additional molecular markers. Here we used sequences and gene order data from complete or nearly complete mitochondrial genomes of 117 demosponges (including 60 new sequences determined for this study and 6 assembled from public sources) and three additional partial mt-genomes to test the phylogenetic relationships within demosponges in general and Heteroscleromorpha sensu stricto in particular. We also investigated the phylogenetic position of Myceliospongia araneosa – a highly unusual demosponge without spicules and spongin fibers, currently classified as Demospongiae incertae sedis.Our results support the sub-class relationship within demosponges and reveal four main clades in Heteroscleromorpha sensu stricto: Clade 1 composed of Spongillida, Sphaerocladina, and Scopalinida; Clade 2 composed of Axinellida, Biemnida, Bubarida; Clade 3 composed of Tetractinellida and “Rhizomorina” lithistids; and Clade 4 composed of Agelasida, Polymastida, Clionaida, Suberitida, Poecilosclerida, and Tethyida. The four clades appear to be natural lineages that unite previously defined taxonomic orders. Therefore, if those clades are to be systematically interpreted, they will have the rank of superorders (hence S1-S4). We inferred the following relationships among the newly defined clades: (S1(S2(S3+S4))). Analysis of molecular data from Myceliospongia araneosa – first from this species/genus – placed it in S3 as a sister group to Microscleroderma sp. and Leiodermatium sp. (“Rhizomorina”).Molecular clock analysis indicated that the origin of the Heteroscleromorpha sensu stricto as well as the basal split in this group between S1 and the rest of the superorder go back to Cambrian, while the divergences among the three other superorders occurred in Ordovician (with the 95% standard variation from Late Cambrian to Early Silurian). Furthermore most of the proposed orders within Heteroscleromorpha appear to have middle Paleozoic origin, while crown groups within order date mostly to Paleozoic to Mesozoic transition. We propose that these molecular clock estimates can be used to readjust ranks for some of the higher taxa within Heteroscleromorpha.In addition to phylogenetic information, we found several unusual mtgenomic features among the sampled species, broadening our understanding of mitochondrial genome evolution in this group and animals in general. In particular, we found mitochondrial introns within cox2 (first in animals) and rnl (first in sponges).


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Ye ◽  
Xuelin Wang ◽  
Juan Li ◽  
Changwei Bi ◽  
Yiqing Xu ◽  
...  

Willow is a widely used dioecious woody plant ofSalicaceaefamily in China. Due to their high biomass yields, willows are promising sources for bioenergy crops. In this study, we assembled the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence ofS. suchowensiswith the length of 644,437 bp using Roche-454 GS FLX Titanium sequencing technologies. Base composition of theS. suchowensismt genome is A (27.43%), T (27.59%), C (22.34%), and G (22.64%), which shows a prevalent GC content with that of other angiosperms. This long circular mt genome encodes 58 unique genes (32 protein-coding genes, 23 tRNA genes and 3 rRNA genes), and 9 of the 32 protein-coding genes contain 17 introns. Through the phylogenetic analysis of 35 species based on 23 protein-coding genes, it is supported thatSalixas a sister toPopulus. With the detailed phylogenetic information and the identification of phylogenetic position, some ribosomal protein genes and succinate dehydrogenase genes are found usually lost during evolution. As a native shrub willow species, this worthwhile research ofS. suchowensismt genome will provide more desirable information for better understanding the genomic breeding and missing pieces of sex determination evolution in the future.


1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 673-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie R. Stevens ◽  
Wendy C. Gibson

In the absence of a fossil record, the evolution of protozoa has until recently largely remained a matter for speculation. However, advances in molecular methods and phylogenetic analysis are now allowing interpretation of the "history written in the genes". This review focuses on recent progress in reconstruction of trypanosome phylogeny based on molecular data from ribosomal RNA, the miniexon and protein-coding genes. Sufficient data have now been gathered to demonstrate unequivocally that trypanosomes are monophyletic; the phylogenetic trees derived can serve as a framework to reinterpret the biology, taxonomy and present day distribution of trypanosome species, providing insights into the coevolution of trypanosomes with their vertebrate hosts and vectors. Different methods of dating the divergence of trypanosome lineages give rise to radically different evolutionary scenarios and these are reviewed. In particular, the use of one such biogeographically based approach provides new insights into the coevolution of the pathogens, Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi, with their human hosts and the history of the diseases with which they are associated.


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