title: Highly conserved D-loop-like nuclear mitochondrial sequences (Numts) in tiger (Panthera tigris).
abstract: Using oligonucleotide primers designed to match hypervariable segments I (HVS-1) of Panthera tigris mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), we amplified two different PCR products (500 bp and 287 bp) in the tiger (Panthera tigris), but got only one PCR product (287 bp) in the leopard (Panthera pardus). Sequence analyses indicated that the sequence of 287 bp was a D-loop-like nuclear mitochondrial sequence (Numts), indicating a nuclear transfer that occurred approximately 4.8-17 million years ago in the tiger and 4.6-16 million years ago in the leopard. Although the mtDNA D-loop sequence has a rapid rate of evolution, the 287-bp Numts are highly conserved; they are nearly identical in tiger subspecies and only 1.742% different between tiger and leopard. Thus, such sequences represent molecular 'fossils' that can shed light on evolution of the mitochondrial genome and may be the most appropriate outgroup for phylogenetic analysis. This is also proved by comparing the phylogenetic trees reconstructed using the D-loop sequence of snow leopard and the 287-bp Numts as outgroup.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610064, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wenping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhihe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fujun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Bisong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D046010:Tigers / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase