Open AccessPresence of nuclear copies of mitochondrial origin ( NUMT s) in two related species of stingless bee genus M elipona ( H ymenoptera: M eliponini)
Author(s) -
Ruiz Carlos,
J. MayItzá William,
QuezadaEuÁn J. Javier G.,
De la Rúa Pilar
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of zoological systematics and evolutionary research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.769
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1439-0469
pISSN - 0947-5745
DOI - 10.1111/jzs.12011
Subject(s) - biology , mitochondrial dna , phylogenetic tree , nuclear gene , evolutionary biology , phylogenetics , genome , genetics , gene
Transferred copies of mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA ) into the nuclear genome ( numts ) have been reported in several Hymenoptera species, even at a high density in the honey bee nuclear genome. The accidental amplification of numts in phylogenetic studies focused on mt DNA highlights the importance of a correct determination of numts and their related mt DNA sequences. We report here the presence of numts derived from a mitochondrial rDNA 16S gene in the genome of the stingless bee species M elipona colimana and M . fasciata (tribe M eliponini) from W estern M exico. PCR products were cloned in both species obtaining thirty paralogous numts . Numts were identified by the presence of insertions and deletions and the disruption of the 16S secondary structure. Further phylogenetic analyses including alternative mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear ITS1 genes have revealed the presence of another numt ( cox1 ) in the nuclear genome of these two species, and place both as sister lineages within the subgenus M ichmelia . This is one of the first studies reporting the presence of numts in M eliponini species, and supports previous studies suggesting frequent transfer of mt DNA to the nuclear genome in H ymenoptera.