We have determined the complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of the mitochondrial genome of an oligochaete annelid, the earthworm Lumbricus tarestris. This genome contains the 37 genes typical of metazoan mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), including ATPase8, which is missing from some invertebrate mtDNAs. ATPase8 is not immediately upstream of ATPase6, a condition found previously only in the mtDNA of snai...

Cytochrome b (cytb), one of the most widely used and accepted genes for phylogenetic studies, was employed to evaluate the genetic diversity, from a creationist standpoint, within and between species of ravens, species of owls, and species of doves. These species were chosen since they are known to have existed shortly after the flood, some documented within 400 years of the flood. It was found...

Cytauxzoon felis, an emerging virulent protozoan parasite that infects domestic cats, is treated with atovaquone and azithromycin (A&A). Atovaquone targets parasite cytochrome b. We characterized the C. felis cytochrome b gene (cytb) in cats with cytauxzoonosis and found a cytb genotype that was associated with survival in A&A-treated cats.

Mitochondria contain their own DNA (mtDNA), which codes for 13 proteins (all subunits of the respiratory chain complexes), 22 tRNAs and 2 rRNAs. Several mtDNA point mutations as well as deletions have been shown to be causative in well-defined mitochondrial disorders. A mixture of mutated and wild type mtDNA (heteroplasmy) is found in most of these disorders. Inheritance of mtDNA is maternal, a...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and its occurrence can be ascribed to genetic susceptibility. Mitochondrial DNA 4977-bp (mtDNA 4977), as the most described mtDNA deletion, has been long proposed to be involved in various types of cancers. However, a few studies on mtDNA 4977-bp deletion in Iranian patients with CRC have been reported. The cu...

We examined phylogenetic relationships among the Namib day geckos (genus Rhoptropus) using DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) and 16S ribosomal RNA genes. Maximum-parsimony analysis of the cytb, 16S, and combined (cytb/16S) datasets each recovered an identical single most-parsimonious tree, revealing two well-supported clades: (1) Rhoptropus afer 1 Rhoptropus bradfield...

Taenia pisiformis is one of the most important parasites of canines and rabbits. T. pisiformis cysticercus (the larval stage) causes severe damage to rabbit breeding, which results in huge economic losses. In this study, the genetic variation of T. pisiformis was determined in Sichuan Province, China. Fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) (922 bp) gene were amplified in 53 isolates...

We hypothesize the phylogenetic relationships of the agamid genus Phrynocephalus to assess how past environmental changes shaped the evolutionary and biogeographic history of these lizards and especially the impact of paleogeography and climatic factors. Phrynocephalus is one of the most diverse and taxonomically confusing lizard genera. As a key element of Palearctic deserts, it serves as a pr...

Esox lucius is an economically important freshwater species. Mitochondrial cytb, 12SrRNA, and 16SrRNA gene sequences were used in order to clarify the genetic variation and population structure in three E. Lucius populations, i.e., one Wild population (W) and two hatchery populations (Hatchery Population I-HPI and Hatchery Population II-HPII). A total of 55 individuals, with 19 from wild and 1...

Based on 1031 samples of grass snakes from Central Europe, we examine the recently reported occurrence southern subspecies barred snake (Natrix helvetica sicula) in Bavaria, Germany. Using 13 microsatellite loci and mtDNA coding for cytb gene partial ND4 plus adjacent tRNAs, show that N. h. sicula is restricted to a few river valleys (Inn, Isar, Loisach) southernmost Bavaria Tyrol, Austria. At ...