Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of Sichuan deer (Cervus elaphus macneilli)

Abstract

The Sichuan deer (Cervus elaphus macneilli) is a rare animal native to western Sichuan and southeastern Tibet, China. In this study, the entire Sichuan deer mitochondrial genome was sequenced; it was 16350 bp long (GenBank accession No: KX449334) and contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and one control region (D-loop). Ten PCGs started with ATG, but ND2, ND3, and ND5 used ATA as the start codon. PCG homology between C.e.macneilli and four other red deer subspecies ranged from 93.9 to 96%, which indicates a clear difference among subspecies. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Sichuan deer clustered into a clade with other red deer subspecies with high bootstrap support. This work provides additional molecular information for studying red deer conservation genetics and evolutionary relationships.