The Multipartite Mitochondrial Genome of Enteromyxum leei (Myxozoa): Eight Fast-Evolving Megacircles.
Myxozoans are a large group of poorly characterized cnidarian parasites. To gain further insight into their evolution, we sequenced the mitochondrial (mt) genome of Enteromyxum leei and reevaluate the mt genome structure of Kudoa iwatai. Although the typical animal mt genome is a compact, 13-25 kb, circular chromosome, the mt genome of E. leei was found to be fragmented into eight circular chromosomes of ∼23 kb, making it the largest described animal mt genome. Each chromosome was found to harbor a large noncoding region (∼15 kb), nearly identical between chromosomes. The protein coding genes show an unusually high rate of sequence evolution and possess little similarity to their cnidarian homologs. Only five protein coding genes could be identified and no tRNA genes. Surprisingly, the mt genome of K. iwatai was also found to be composed of two chromosomes. These observations confirm the remarkable plasticity of myxozoan mt genomes.
Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Dayana
D
Yahalomi
Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Michal
M
Haddas-Sasson
Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Nimrod D
ND
Rubinstein
Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Tamar
T
Feldstein
National Center for Mariculture, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Eilat, Israel.
Arik
A
Diamant
Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Dorothée
D
Huchon
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055764:Myxozoa / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
Cnidaria; Myxosporea; gene conversion; mtDNA; tRNA loss