title: Mitogenomics reveals two cryptic species in Ciona intestinalis.
abstract: Individual mitochondrial genes or genomic features are commonly used as phylogenetic markers at many taxonomic levels. We used a mitogenomics approach to demonstrate the existence of two cryptic species in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, a model chordate whose status as a single species has recently been questioned. Comprehensive comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genome of the two cryptic species revealed significant differences in gene order, size and number of noncoding regions, compositional features and divergence of protein-coding genes.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari e Biotecnologie, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iannelli
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesole
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sordino
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gissi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D023061:Gene Order; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D020506:Untranslated Regions / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D020506:Untranslated Regions