Genetic Variation and Invasion Pattern of the Arabian Rhinoceros Beetle,Oryctes agamemnon arabicus(Burmeister) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), in Tunisia, Deduced from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

Abstract As the powerhouses of the eukaryotic cell, mitochondria must maintain their genomes which encode proteins essential for energy production. Mitochondria are characterized by guanine-rich DNA sequences that spontaneously form unusual three-dimensional structures known as G-quadruplexes (G4). G4 structures can be problematic for the essential processes of DNA replication and transcription because they deter normal progression of the enzymatic-driven processes. In this study, we addressed the hypothesis that mitochondrial G4 is a source of mutagenesis leading to base-pair substitutions. Our computational analysis of 2757 individual genomes from two Italian population cohorts (SardiNIA and InCHIANTI) revealed a statistically significant enrichment of mitochondrial mutations within sequences corresponding to stable G4 DNA structures. Guided by the computational analysis results, we designed biochemical reconstitution experiments and demonstrated that DNA synthesis by two known mitochondrial DNA polymerases (Pol γ, PrimPol) in vitro was strongly blocked by representative stable G4 mitochondrial DNA structures, which could be overcome in a specific manner by the ATP-dependent G4-resolving helicase Pif1. However, error-prone DNA synthesis by PrimPol using the G4 template sequence persisted even in the presence of Pif1. Altogether, our results suggest that genetic variation is enriched in G-quadruplex regions that impede mitochondrial DNA replication.

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Geographic Patterns of Genetic Variation in a Broadly Distributed Marine Vertebrate: New Insights into Loggerhead Turtle Stock Structure from Expanded Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0085956 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. e85956 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Brian M. Shamblin ◽

Alan B. Bolten ◽

F. Alberto Abreu-Grobois ◽

Karen A. Bjorndal ◽

Luis Cardona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Loggerhead Turtle ◽

Stock Structure ◽

Geographic Patterns

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Genetic Variation of Gray Triggerfish in U.S. Waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

North American Journal of Fisheries Management ◽

10.1080/02755947.2011.611861 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 714-721 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Luca Antoni ◽

Nicholas Emerick ◽

Eric Saillant

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Western Atlantic Ocean ◽

Gray Triggerfish

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Genetic variation and phylogenetic relationship of Hypoderaeum conoideum (Bloch, 1782) Dietz, 1909 (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine ◽

10.4103/1995-7645.295362 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 515

Author(s):

Weerachai Saijuntha ◽

Chairat Tantrawatpan

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Phylogenetic Relationship ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Relationship Of

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Genetic variation within African spiny-tailed lizards (Agamidae: Uromastyx) estimated using mitochondrial DNA sequences

Amphibia-Reptilia ◽

10.1163/156853807779799144 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

José Brito ◽

Raquel Vaconcelos ◽

D. James Harris

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

North African ◽

History Of ◽

Current Species

AbstractAfrican spiny-tailed lizards (Uromastyx) are large, herbivorous lizards extensively traded locally for food and internationally as pets. Several species have recently been described, although some remain controversial. To determine relationships within North African forms, twenty individuals were analysed for over 1000 bases of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses indicate four deeply divergent lineages that correspond to sampling areas, but not to current species designations. These results indicate that present taxonomy does not reflect the evolutionary history of these species.

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