Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of ayu Plecoglossus altivelis

Abstract

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome for ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis. Two large DNA fragments covering the entire genome were amplified using a long polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, and the products subsequently used as templates for PCR with 57 fish-versatile and five species-specific primers that amplify contiguous, overlapping segments of the entire genome. Direct sequencing of the PCR products demonstrated that the genome (16537 bp) contained the same 37 mitochondrial genes (two ribosomal RNA, 22 transfer RNA, and 13 protein-coding genes) as those found in other vertebrates, with the gene order identical to that in typical vertebrates. A major non-coding region between the tRNAPro and tRNAPhe genes (857 bp) was considered to be the control region (D-loop), as it has several conservative blocks that are characteristic to this region.