Insect mitochondrial genomics 3: the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of representatives from two neuropteroid orders: a dobsonfly (order Megaloptera) and a giant lacewing and an owlfly (order Neuroptera)

  • Andrew T. Beckenbach
    Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
  • James Bruce Stewart
    Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.

Description

<jats:p>We describe the complete mitochondrial genomes from representatives of two orders of the Neuropterida: a dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae, GenBank Accession No. FJ171323), a giant lacewing Polystoechotes punctatus (Neuroptera: Polystoechotidae, FJ171325), and an owlfly, Ascaloptynx appendiculatus (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae, FJ171324). The dobsonfly sequence is 15 687 base pairs with a major noncoding (A+T rich) region of approximately 967 bp. The gene content and organization of the dobsonfly is identical to that of most insects. The giant lacewing sequence is 16 036 bp with a major noncoding region of about 1123 bp, while the owlfly sequence is 15 877 bp with a major noncoding region of about 1066 bp. The two Neuroptera sequences include a transposition of two tRNA genes, tRNA<jats:sup>Trp</jats:sup>and tRNA<jats:sup>Cys</jats:sup>. These tRNA genes are coded on opposite strands and overlap by seven residues in the standard insect mitochondrial gene arrangement. Thus, the transposition required a duplication of at least the region of overlap. It is likely that the transposition occurred by a duplication of both genes followed by deletion of one copy of each gene. Examination of this region in two other neuropteroid species, a snakefly, Agulla sp. (Raphidioptera: Raphidiidae), and an antlion, Myrmeleon immaculatus (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), shows that the rearrangement is widespread in the order Neuroptera but not present in either of the other two orders of Neuropterida.</jats:p>

Journal

  • Genome

    Genome 52 (1), 31-38, 2009-01

    Canadian Science Publishing

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