Abstract
Scolopendra mutilans L. Koch, 1878 is an important Chinese animal with thousands of years of medicinal history. However, the genomic information of this species is limited, which hinders its further application. Here, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of S. mutilans was sequenced and assembled by next-generation sequencing. The genome is 15,011 bp in length, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 14 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. Most PCGs start with the ATN initiation codon, and all PCGs have the conventional stop codons TAA and TAG. The S. mutilans mitogenome revealed nine simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and an obviously lower GC content compared with other seven centipede mitogenomes previously sequenced. After analysis of homologous regions between the eight centipede mitogenomes, the S. mutilans mitogenome further showed clear genomic rearrangements. The phylogenetic analysis of eight centipedes using 13 conserved PCG genes was finally performed. The phylogenetic reconstructions showed Scutigeromorpha as a separate group, and Scolopendromorpha in a sister-group relationship with Lithobiomorpha and Geophilomorpha. Collectively, the S. mutilans mitogenome provided new genomic resources, which will improve its medicinal research and applications in the future.
Highlights
Animal medicine is an important part of the Chinese traditional medicine system
The full circular mitogenome of S. mutilans (GenBank: MN317390) was 15,011 bp in length, which was similar to those of seven other centipede mitogenomes sequenced in the class Chilopoda (Table 1) (Robertson et al 2015; Sun et al 2018)
We found a total of 2111 bp of intergenic regions on the S. mutilans mitogenome, accounting for 14% of the genome size
Summary
As a typical representative of medicinal animals, the centipede Scolopendra mutilans has been used for hundreds of years in China for treating many disorders, such as stroke-induced hemiplegia, epilepsy, apoplexy, whooping cough, tetanus, burns, tuberculosis, and myocutaneous disease (Ding et al 2016). Centipedes have been described for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in Korea, China, and other east Asian countries (Chen et al 2014). Scolopendra mutilans is a venom-containing animal, which is rich in antimicrobial peptides, ion channel modulators, enzymes, and other macromolecular active substances (Yoo et al 2014). Due to its active ingredients, it is of great interest in modern medical research. With the increase of medicinal applications, the wild populations of S. mutilans were over-exploited and declined greatly (Kang et al 2017). Conservation and further artificial culture are needed, which in turn depends on the correct classification and molecular identification of the natural centipede taxa
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
