Evolutionarily recent, insertional fission of mitochondrial cox2 into complementary genes in bilaterian Metazoa

Przemyslaw Szafranski

doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3626-5

Abstract

BackgroundMitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) of multicellular animals (Metazoa) with bilateral symmetry (Bilateria) are compact and usually carry 13 protein-coding genes for subunits of three respiratory complexes and ATP synthase. However, occasionally reported exceptions to this typical mtDNA organization prompted speculation that, as in protists and plants, some bilaterian mitogenomes may continue to lose their canonical genes, or may even acquire new genes. To shed more light on this phenomenon, a PCR-based screen was conducted to assess fast-evolving mtDNAs of apocritan Hymenoptera (Arthropoda, Insecta) for genomic rearrangements that might be associated with the modification of mitochondrial gene content.ResultsSequencing of segmental inversions, identified in the screen, revealed that the cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene (cox2) of Campsomeris (Dielis) (Scoliidae) was split into two genes coding for COXIIA and COXIIB. The COXII-derived complementary polypeptides apparently form a heterodimer, have reduced hydrophobicity compared with the majority of mitogenome-encoded COX subunits, and one of them, COXIIB, features increased content of Cys residues. Analogous cox2 fragmentation is known only in two clades of protists (chlorophycean algae and alveolates), where it has been associated with piecewise relocation of this gene into the nucleus. In Campsomeris mtDNA, cox2a and cox2b loci are separated by a 3-kb large cluster of several antiparallel overlapping ORFs, one of which, qnu, seems to encode a nuclease that may have played a role in cox2 fission.ConclusionsAlthough discontinuous mitochondrial protein genes encoding fragmented, complementary polypeptides are known in protists and some plants, split cox2 of Campsomeris is the first case of such a gene arrangement found in animals. The reported data also indicate that bilaterian animal mitogenomes may be carrying lineage-specific genes more often than previously thought, and suggest a homing endonuclease-based mechanism for insertional mitochondrial gene fission.

Highlights

Mitochondrial genomes of multicellular animals (Metazoa) with bilateral symmetry (Bilateria) are compact and usually carry 13 protein-coding genes for subunits of three respiratory complexes and ATP synthase
The only lineage-specific translated genes identified in bilaterian mitogenomes are the f- and m-Open reading frame (ORF) found in bivalves (Mollusca) with doubly uniparental inheritance of mitochondria [10, 11]
Mitochondrial cox2 gene in Campsomeris is split in half The exploration of hymenopteran mitogenomes for potential changes in gene content was guided by a PCRbased screen that primarily targeted Mitochondria contain residual genomes (mtDNA) segmental inversions, as well as deletions and duplications/insertions

Summary

Introduction

Mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) of multicellular animals (Metazoa) with bilateral symmetry (Bilateria) are compact and usually carry 13 protein-coding genes for subunits of three respiratory complexes and ATP synthase. Among the most compact mitogenomes are those of multicellular animals (Metazoa) with bilateral symmetry (Bilateria) [3,4,5,6,7] They usually carry 37 annotated intronless genes, of which only 13 are protein-coding, and they have dramatically reduced or entirely absent intergenic regions. Deviations from this conserved gene set in the Bilateria are rare and comprise mostly tRNA genes. A conserved non-overlapping ORF was identified in the control region (CR) of mammalian mtDNA [12], unassigned

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