Novel gene arrangement in the mitochondrial genome of Bothus myriaster (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae): evidence for the Dimer-Mitogenome and Non-random Loss model

Abstract

In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the oval flounder Bothus myriaster was determined and a novel gene rearrangement was discovered. A striking finding was that eight genes encoded by the L-strand (ND6 and tRNA-Q, A, C, Y, S₁, E, and P genes) were translocated to a position between tRNA-T and tRNA-F. Simultaneously, the original order of the rearranged genes Q–A–C–Y–S₁–ND6–E–P was maintained. Thus, the genes with identical transcriptional polarities were clustered in the genome with one exception that tRNA-N gene is located in the original position. The other rearrangement was the H-strand-encoded tRNA-D that translocated from its typical location between COI and COII to a position between S₁ and ND6. The Dimer-Mitogenome and Non-random Loss model (DMNL)was adopted to account for the novel rearrangement in B. myriaster mitogenome, which provides evidence to support the hypothesis of the DMNL model.

• Complete mitogenome
• dimer-mitogenome
• rearrangement mechanism
• transcriptional polarity
• translocation

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Tom Kellie of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences for critical reading of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30870283 and 31071890).