Use of a PCR‐based approach for sequencing whole mitochondrial genomes of insects: two examples (cockroach and dragonfly) based on the method developed for decapod crustaceans

Abstract

Recent development of a PCR-based approach for sequencing vertebrate mitochondrial genomes has attracted much attention as being more rapid and economical than traditional methods using cloned mtDNA and primer walking. Such a method has not been available for insect mitochondrial genomes, despite widespread use of them for the molecular phylogenetic, biogeographical and population genetic markers. A recently developed PCR-based approach for sequencing whole mitochondrial genomes of decapod crustaceans, which included the design of many versatile PCR primers for the latter, was applied with the same primers sets to mitochondrial genomes of two insects, smoky-brown cockroach Periplaneta fuliginosa (Serville, 1839) and skimmer dragonfly Orthetrum triangulare melania (Selys, 1883). Almost the entire region of the two mitochondrial genomes was successfully sequenced. Features of the two mitochondrial genomes are described and the usefulness of this PCR-based approach for sequencing insect mitochondrial genomes demonstrated.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of two cockroaches, Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana, and the phylogenetic position of termites

“…the region between tRNA-Trp (trnW) and tRNA-Cye (trnC), which is usual in other Orthoptera species. The each mitogenome contains 22 tRNA genes, which are interspersed in the genome and range from 63 to 71 bp in length, and they were identified in the same relative genomic positions as observed in P. fuliginosa (Yamauchi et al 2004) and E. sinensis (Zhang et al 2010). The predicted secondary structure for the 22 tRNA genes of B. germanica and P. americana can be seen in Figure S1 and S2 (supporting information).…”

“…Cockroaches often carry microorganisms that are important in nosocomial infections, and their medical importance in the spread of bacteria cannot be ruled out (Fakoorziba et al 2010). Unfortunately, although there are approximately 4,000 species of cockroaches (Velez et al 2006), there are only two mitogenomes available in Blattaria, Periplaneta fuliginosa and Eupolyphaga sinensis (Yamauchi et al 2004;Zhang et al 2010).…”

Genetic Approaches for Studying Myiasis-causing Flies: Molecular Markers and Mitochondrial Genomics

“…Furthermore, the presence of a potential origin of replication or regulatory elements, long polynucleotide stretches (such as poly-A and poly-T arrays), fast-evolving primary sequences, and structurally instable elements, such as multiple repeats and sequences able to form secondary structures, may increase the technical and methodological difficulties related to access to mtDNA CR sequence data. Indeed, projects designed to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome of arthropods have commonly reported technical difficulties in accessing and sequencing the CR or have not sequenced this region at all (Yamauchi, Miya & Nishida, 2004). Other important questions addressing structural evolution of CR sequences have recently been examined by the analysis of duplicated control regions in ticks (Shao et al, 2005).…”

The complete mitogenome of the wood-feeding cockroachCryptocercus kyebangensis(Blattodea: Cryptocercidae) and phylogenetic relations among cockroach families

“…To date, complete mitogenome sequences of seven species from four families (Cryptocercidae, Blattidae, Blattellidae, and Polyphagidae) of the order Blattodea have been published (Yamauchi et al 2004;Zhang et al 2010;Cameron et al 2012;Xiao et al 2012;Chen 2013). We show phylogenetic relations among cockroach families based on the amino acid sequences derived from 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs) in the whole mitogenome.…”