title: Evolution of mitochondrial gene orders in echinoderms.
abstract: A comprehensive analysis of the mitochondrial gene orders of all previously published and two novel Antedon mediterranea (Crinoidea) and Ophiura albida (Ophiuroidea) complete echinoderm mitochondrial genomes shows that all major types of rearrangement operations are necessary to explain the evolution of mitochondrial genomes. In addition to protein coding genes we include all tRNA genes as well as the control region in our analysis. Surprisingly, 7 of the 16 genomes published in the GenBank database contain misannotations, mostly unannotated tRNAs and/or mistakes in the orientation of tRNAs, which we have corrected here. Although the gene orders of mt genomes appear very different, only 8 events are necessary to explain the evolutionary history of echinoderms with the exception of the ophiuroids. Only two of these rearrangements are inversions, while we identify three tandem-duplication-random-loss events and three transpositions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology II: Zoologie, Molekulare Evolution und Systematik der Tiere, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 33, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Marleen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perseke
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fritzsch
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramsch
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernt
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merkle
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Middendorf
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bernhard
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Stadler
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlegel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004447:Echinodermata / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D023061:Gene Order / Q000235:genetics*; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D010802:Phylogeny