scholarly journals Phylogeny of water birds inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences of nine protein coding genes

Author(s):  
Tsendsesmee Lkhagvajav Treutlein ◽  
Javier Gonzalez ◽  
Michael Wink

Background: The phylogeny of birds which are adapted to aquatic environments is controversial because of convergent evolution. Methods: To understand water bird evolution in more detail, we sequenced the majority of mitochondrial protein coding genes (6699 nucleotides in length) of 14 water birds, and reconstructed their phylogeny in the context of other taxa across the whole class of birds for which complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were available. Results: The water bird clade, as defined by Hackett et al. (2008) based on nuclear DNA (ncDNA) sequences, was also found in our study by Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses. In both reconstruction methods, genera belonging to the same family generally clustered together with moderate to high statistical support. Above the family level, we identified three monophyletic groups: one clade consisting of Procellariidae, Hydrobatidae and Diomedeidae, and a second clade consisting of Sulidae, Anhingidae and Phalacrocoracidae, and a third clade consisting of Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae. Discussion: Based on our mtDNA sequence data, we recovered a robust direct sister relationship between Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae for the first time for mtDNA. Our comprehensive phylogenetic reconstructions contribute to the knowledge of higher level relationships within the water birds and provide evolutionary hypotheses for further studies.

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsendsesmee Lkhagvajav Treutlein ◽  
Javier Gonzalez ◽  
Michael Wink

Background: The phylogeny of birds which are adapted to aquatic environments is controversial because of convergent evolution. Methods: To understand water bird evolution in more detail, we sequenced the majority of mitochondrial protein coding genes (6699 nucleotides in length) of 14 water birds, and reconstructed their phylogeny in the context of other taxa across the whole class of birds for which complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were available. Results: The water bird clade, as defined by Hackett et al. (2008) based on nuclear DNA (ncDNA) sequences, was also found in our study by Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses. In both reconstruction methods, genera belonging to the same family generally clustered together with moderate to high statistical support. Above the family level, we identified three monophyletic groups: one clade consisting of Procellariidae, Hydrobatidae and Diomedeidae, and a second clade consisting of Sulidae, Anhingidae and Phalacrocoracidae, and a third clade consisting of Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae. Discussion: Based on our mtDNA sequence data, we recovered a robust direct sister relationship between Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae for the first time for mtDNA. Our comprehensive phylogenetic reconstructions contribute to the knowledge of higher level relationships within the water birds and provide evolutionary hypotheses for further studies.


2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 5-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore DiMauro

The small, maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has turned out to be a hotbed of pathogenic mutations: 15 years into the era of ‘mitochondrial medicine’, over 150 pathogenic point mutations and countless rearrangements have been associated with a variety of multisystemic or tissue-specific human diseases. MtDNA-related disorders can be divided into two major groups: those due to mutations in genes affecting mitochondrial protein synthesis in toto and those due to mutations in specific protein-coding genes. Here we review the mitochondrial genetics and the clinical features of the mtDNA-related diseases.


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.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1945
Author(s):  
Olga Bondareva ◽  
Evgeny Genelt-Yanovskiy ◽  
Tatyana Petrova ◽  
Semen Bodrov ◽  
Antonina Smorkatcheva ◽  
...  

This study evaluates signatures of selection in the evolution of the mitochondrial DNA of voles, subfamily Arvicolinae, during the colonization of subterranean environments. The comparative sequence analysis of mitochondrial protein-coding genes of eight subterranean vole species (Prometheomys schaposchnikowi, three species of the genus Ellobius: Ellobius talpinus, Ellobius fuscocapillus and Ellobius lutescens, two species of the genus Terricola: Terricola subterraneus and Terricola daghestanicus, Lasiopodomys mandarinus, and Hyperacrius fertilis) and their closest aboveground relatives was applied using codon-substitution models. The highest number of selection signatures was detected in genes ATP8 and CYTB. The relaxation of selection was observed in most mitochondrial DNA protein-coding genes for subterranean species. The largest amount of relaxed genes is discovered in mole voles (genus Ellobius). The number of selection signatures was found to be independent of the evolutionary age of the lineage but fits the degree of specialization to the subterranean niche. The common trends of selective pressures were observed among the evolutionary ancient and highly specialized subterranean rodent families and phylogenetically young lineages of voles. It suggests that the signatures of adaptation in individual mitochondrial protein-coding genes associated with the colonization of the subterranean niche may appear within a rather short evolutionary timespan.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Bbole ◽  
Jin-Liang Zhao ◽  
Shou-Jie Tang ◽  
Cyprian Katongo

AbstractGenetic characterization of southern African cichlids has not received much attention. Here, we describe the mitogenome sequences and phylogenetic positioning of Oreochromis andersonii and O. macrochir among the cichlids of southern Africa. The complete mitochondrial DNA sequences were determined for O. andersonii and O. macrochir, two important aquaculture and fisheries species endemic to southern Africa. The complete mitogenome sequence lengths were 16642 bp and 16644 bp for O. andersonii and O. macrochir respectively. The general structural organization follows that of other teleost species with 13 protein–coding genes, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs and a non-coding control region. Phylogenetic placement of the two species among other African cichlids was performed using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo (MCMC). The consensus trees confirmed the relative positions of the two cichlid species with O. andersonii being very closely related to O. mossambicus and O. macrochir showing a close relation to both species. Among the 13 mitochondrial DNA protein coding genes ND6 may have evolved more rapidly and COIII was the most conserved. There are signs that ND6 may have been subjected to positive selection in order for these cichlid lineages to diversity and adapt to new environments. More work is needed to characterize the southern Africa cichlids as they are important species for capture fisheries, aquaculture development and understanding biogeographic history of African cichlids. Bioconservation of some endangered cichlids is also essential due to the threat by invasive species.


Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
John Asekhaen Ohiolei ◽  
Hong-Bin Yan ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Wen-Hui Li ◽  
Yao-Dong Wu ◽  
...  

Abstract Cysticercosis caused by the metacestode larval stage of Taenia hydatigena formerly referred to as Cysticercus tenuicollis is a disease of veterinary importance that constitutes a significant threat to livestock production worldwide, especially in endemic regions due to condemnation of visceral organs and mortality rate of infected young animals. While the genetic diversity among parasites is found to be potentially useful in many areas of research including molecular diagnostics, epidemiology and control, that of T. hydatigena across the globe remains poorly understood. In this study, analysis of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of adult worms and larval stages of T. hydatigena isolated from dogs, sheep and a wild boar in China showed that the population structure consists of two major haplogroups with very high nucleotide substitutions involving synonymous and non-synonymous changes. Compared with other cestodes such as Echinococcus spp., the genetic variation observed between the haplogroups is sufficient for the assignment of major haplotype or genotype division as both groups showed a total of 166 point-mutation differences between the 12 mitochondrial protein-coding gene sequences. Preliminary analysis of a nuclear protein-coding gene (pepck) did not reveal any peculiar changes between both groups which suggests that these variants may only differ in their mitochondrial makeup.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1983
Author(s):  
Bruna Laís Sena do Nascimento ◽  
Fábio Silva da Silva ◽  
Joaquim Pinto Nunes-Neto ◽  
Daniele Barbosa de Almeida Medeiros ◽  
Ana Cecília Ribeiro Cruz ◽  
...  

The Culicidae family is distributed worldwide and comprises about 3587 species subdivided into the subfamilies Anophelinae and Culicinae. This is the first description of complete mitochondrial DNA sequences from Aedes fluviatilis, Aedeomyia squamipennis, Coquillettidia nigricans, Psorophora albipes, and Psorophora ferox. The mitogenomes showed an average length of 15,046 pb and 78.02% AT content, comprising 37 functional subunits (13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and two rRNAs). The most common start codons were ATT/ATG, and TAA was the stop codon for all PCGs. The tRNAs had the typical leaf clover structure, except tRNASer1. Phylogeny was inferred by analyzing the 13 PCGs concatenated nucleotide sequences of 48 mitogenomes. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analysis placed Ps. albipes and Ps. ferox in the Janthinosoma group, like the accepted classification of Psorophora genus. Ae. fluviatilis was placed in the Aedini tribe, but was revealed to be more related to the Haemagogus genus, a result that may have been hampered by the poor sampling of Aedes sequences. Cq. nigricans clustered with Cq. chrysonotum, both related to Mansonia. Ae. squamipennis was placed as the most external lineage of the Culicinae subfamily. The yielded topology supports the concept of monophyly of all groups and ratifies the current taxonomic classification.


2019 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saira Bibi ◽  
Muhammad Fiaz Khan ◽  
Aqsa Rehman ◽  
Faisal Nouroz

Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 537-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudhir Kumar

Abstract Maximum likelihood methods were used to study the differences in substitution rates among the four nucleotides and among different nucleotide sites in mitochondrial protein-coding genes of vertebrates. In the lst+2nd codon position data, the frequency of nucleotide G is negatively correlated with evolutionary rates of genes, substitution rates vary substantially among sites, and the transition / transversion rate bias (R) is two to five times larger than that expected at random. Generally, largest transition biases and greatest differences in substitution rates among sites are found in the highly conserved genes. The 3rd positions in placental mammal genes exhibit strong nucleotide composition biases and the transitional rates exceed transversional rates by one to two orders of magnitude. Tamura-Nei and Hasegawa-Kishino-Yano models with gamma distributed variable rates among sites (gamma parameter, α) adequately describe the nucleotide substitution process in 1st+2nd position data. In these data, ignoring differences in substitution rates among sites leads to largest biases while estimating substitution rates. Kimura's two-parameter model with variable-rates among sites performs satisfactorily in likelihood estimation of R, α, and overall amount of evolution for lst+2nd position data. It can also be used to estimate pairwise distances with appropriate values of α for a majority of genes.


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