AUTHOR=Alexander Kenechukwu Nwobodo , Li Man , An Lei , Cui Miaomiao , Wang Cailin , Wang Aili , Chen Yulin , Du Saijun , Feng Chenyao , Zhong Sijin , Gao Yuying , Cao Xueyan , Wang Li , Obinna Ezenwali Moses , Mei Xinyu , Song Yuanjian , Li Zongyun , Qi Dashi 

TITLE=Comparative Analysis of the Complete Mitochondrial Genomes for Development Application

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2018.00651

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2018.00651

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>This present research work reports the comparative analysis of the entire nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial genomes of <italic>Serranochromis robustus</italic> and <italic>Buccochromis nototaenia</italic> and phylogenetic analyses of their protein-coding genes in order to establish their phylogenetic relationship within Cichlids. The mitochondrial genomes of <italic>S. robustus</italic> and <italic>B. nototaenia</italic> are 16,583 and 16,580 base pairs long, respectively, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and one control region (D-loop) which is 888 and 887 base pairs long, respectively, showing the same gene order and identical number of gene or regions with other well-elucidated mitogenomes of Cichlids. However, with exception of cytochrome-c oxidase subunit-1 (<italic>COX-1</italic>) gene, all the identified PCGs were initiated by ATG-codons. Structurally, 11 tRNA genes in <italic>B. nototaenia</italic> species and 9 tRNA genes in <italic>S. robustus</italic> species, folded into typical clover-leaf secondary structure created by the regions of self-complementarity within tRNA. All the 22 tRNA genes in both species lack variable loop. Moreover, 28 genes which include 12-protein-coding genes are encoded on the H-strand and the remaining 9 genes including one protein-coding gene are encoded on the L-strand. Thirteen sequences of concatenated mitochondrial protein-coding genes were aligned using MUSCLE, and the phylogenetic analyses performed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference showed that <italic>S. robustus</italic> and <italic>B. nototaenia</italic> had a broad phylogenetic relationship. These results may be a useful tool in resolving higher-level relationships in organisms and a useful dataset for studying the evolution of the Cichlidae mitochondrial genome, since Cichlids are well-known model species in the study of evolutionary biology, because of their extreme morphological, biogeographical, parental care behavior for eggs and larvae and phylogenetic diversities.</p>