title: Heteroplasmy, length, and sequence characterization of the mitochondrial control region in Tomistoma schlegelii.
abstract: This study describes the organization of the repetitive pattern in the mtDNA control region of Tomistoma schlegelii. Using newly designed primers, we detected length variations of approximately 50-100 bp among individuals, and only one individual showed a heteroplasmic band. Sequencing the region after CSB III revealed two main patterns: a repeat motif and a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) pattern. The VNTR region, with a core unit of 104 bp, consisting of four motifs and a short AT chain, is implicated in the length variation seen among individuals of Tomistoma. A conserved motif seen in a family unit indicated that the repeat pattern was stably inherited from the maternal parent to all offspring. A combination of VNTR patterns specific to different crocodilians was seen in Tomistoma, and the overall secondary structure was shown to be similar to that in Crocodylus and Gavialis.
authors.affiliation: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Taranjeet
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Alan H K
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Ong
mesh_terms: D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D019901:Locus Control Region; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S