The Complete Maternally and Paternally Inherited Mitochondrial Genomes of a Freshwater Mussel Potamilus alatus (Bivalvia: Unionidae)

PLoS One. 2017 Jan 9;12(1):e0169749. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169749. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) of mitochondrial DNA, found only in some bivalve families and characterized by the existence of gender-associated mtDNA lineages that are inherited through males (M-type) or females (F-type), is one of the very few exceptions to the general rule of strict maternal mtDNA inheritance in animals. M-type sequences are often undetected and hence still underrepresented in the GenBank, which hinders the progress of the understanding of the DUI phenomenon. We have sequenced and analyzed the complete M and F mitogenomes of a freshwater mussel, Potamilus alatus. The M-type was 493 bp longer (M = 16 560, F = 16 067 bp). Gene contents, order and the distribution of genes between L and H strands were typical for unionid mussels. Candidates for the two ORFan genes (forf and morf) were found in respective mitogenomes. Both mitogenomes had a very similar A+T bias: F = 61% and M = 62.2%. The M mitogenome-specific cox2 extension (144 bp) is much shorter than in other sequenced unionid mitogenomes (531-576 bp), which might be characteristic for the Potamilus genus. The overall topology of the phylogenetic tree is in very good agreement with the currently accepted phylogenetic relationships within the Unionidae: both studied sequences were placed within the Ambleminae subfamily clusters in the corresponding M and F clades.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Composition
  • Female
  • Gene Order
  • Genome Size
  • Genome, Mitochondrial*
  • Genomics
  • Male
  • Maternal Inheritance*
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Paternal Inheritance*
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Unionidae / classification
  • Unionidae / genetics*

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Special Scientific Research Funds for Central Non-profit Institutes of Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (Grant number: 2015JBFM02), and Fisheries Sanxin Engineering Funds of Ocean and Fishery Bureau of Jiangsu Province (Grant number: Y2014-38). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.