Untangling Heteroplasmy, Structure, and Evolution of an Atypical Mitochondrial Genome by PacBio Sequencing.

ABSTRACT: The highly compact mitochondrial (mt) genome of terrestrial isopods (Oniscidae) presents two unusual features. First, several loci can individually encode two tRNAs, thanks to single nucleotide polymorphisms at anticodon sites. Within-individual variation (heteroplasmy) at these loci is thought to have been maintained for millions of years because individuals that do not carry all tRNA genes die, resulting in strong balancing selection. Second, the oniscid mtDNA genome comes in two conformations: a ∼14 kb linear monomer and a ∼28 kb circular dimer comprising two monomer units fused in palindrome. We hypothesized that heteroplasmy actually results from two genome units of the same dimeric molecule carrying different tRNA genes at mirrored loci. This hypothesis, however, contradicts the earl

SUBMITTER: Peccoud J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5586377 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature