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Mitochondrial genomes of the genus Ephydatia Lamouroux, 1816: can palindromic elements be used in species-level studies?

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Abstract

Poriferan mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), especially large intergenic regions, is a target for the insertion of repetitive hairpin-forming elements. These elements are responsible for the large mt genome size differences observed even among closely related sponge taxa. In this study, we present the new, nearly complete, mt genome sequence of Ephydatia fluviatilis and compare it with previously published mt genomes of freshwater sponges. Special emphasis was placed on comparison with the closely related species Ephydatia muelleri, thereby comparing the only two species of the genus Ephydatia on the western Balkan Peninsula. In particular, we analyzed repetitive palindromic elements within the mitochondrial intergenic regions. The genomic distribution of these repetitive elements was analyzed and their potential role in the evolution of mt genomes discussed. We show here that palindromic elements are widespread through the whole mt genome, including the protein coding genes, thus introducing genetic variability into mt genomes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports [grant number 098-0982913-2874] (H. Ćetković). We thank Helena Bilandžija and Branko Jalžić, members of the Croatian Biospeleological Society, for their help with specimen collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, P.P. 180, 10002, Zagreb, Croatia

    Mirna Imešek, Bruna Pleše & Helena Ćetković

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, 71 000, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Lada Lukić-Bilela & Suvad Lelo

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  1. Mirna Imešek
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  2. Bruna Pleše
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  3. Lada Lukić-Bilela
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  4. Suvad Lelo
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  5. Helena Ćetković
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Correspondence to Bruna Pleše or Helena Ćetković.

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Imešek, M., Pleše, B., Lukić-Bilela, L. et al. Mitochondrial genomes of the genus Ephydatia Lamouroux, 1816: can palindromic elements be used in species-level studies?. Org Divers Evol 13, 127–134 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-012-0118-y

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