Halibut mitochondrial genomes contain extensive heteroplasmic tandem repeat arrays involved in DNA recombination.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Halibuts are commercially important flatfish species confined to the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. We have determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of four specimens each of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides), and assessed the nucleotide variability within and between species.

Results

About 100 variable positions were identified within the four specimens in each halibut species, with the control regions as the most variable parts of the genomes (10 times that of the mitochondrial ribosomal DNA). Due to tandem repeat arrays, the control regions have unusually large sizes compared to most vertebrate mtDNAs. The arrays are highly heteropl

SUBMITTER: Mjelle KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2248175 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature