Insect Mitochondrial Genomics: Implications for Evolution and Phylogeny

Abstract

The mitochondrial (mt) genome is, to date, the most extensively studied genomic system in insects, outnumbering nuclear genomes tenfold and representing all orders versus very few. Phylogenomic analysis methods have been tested extensively, identifying compositional bias and rate variation, both within and between lineages, as the principal issues confronting accurate analyses. Major studies at both inter- and intraordinal levels have contributed to our understanding of phylogenetic relationships within many groups. Genome rearrangements are an additional data type for defining relationships, with rearrangement synapomorphies identified across multiple orders and at many different taxonomic levels. Hymenoptera and Psocodea have greatly elevated rates of rearrangement offering both opportunities and pitfalls for identifying rearrangement synapomorphies in each group. Finally, insects are model systems for studying aberrant mt genomes, including truncated tRNAs and multichromosomal genomes. Greater integration of nuclear and mt genomic studies is necessary to further our understanding of insect genomic evolution.

The complete mitogenome of the wood-feeding cockroachCryptocercus kyebangensis(Blattodea: Cryptocercidae) and phylogenetic relations among cockroach families

“…Insect mitogenomes, which are a compact circular molecule (typically 15-18 kb in size), tend to have evolved faster than nuclear genomes did (Cameron 2014). Thus, they are widely used as a source of sequence data for molecular phylogenetic studies on evolutionary trends of social behavior among related lineages and for molecular evolutionary studies on patterns and trends in the genomic evolution of insects (Chandra et al 2006;Cameron 2014).…”

“…Thus, they are widely used as a source of sequence data for molecular phylogenetic studies on evolutionary trends of social behavior among related lineages and for molecular evolutionary studies on patterns and trends in the genomic evolution of insects (Chandra et al 2006;Cameron 2014). …”

The complete mitochondrial genome of Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

“…Their larvae have many medicinal values such as anti-inflammatory, analgesia, and haematolysis (Li 2016). Complete mitochondrial genome has been considered as a useful tool for population genetic and phylogenetic studies (Cameron 2014). The complete mitochondrial genome of H. illucens was first reported in this paper.…”

The complete mitochondrial genomes of the higher termitesLabiotermes labralisandEmbiratermes neotenicus(Termitidae: Syntermitinae)

“…The number of available arthropod mitogenomes, especially from insects, has greatly increased during the last decade (Cameron 2014). The genomic information contained in these mitogenomes not only allows inference of phylogeny and evolutionary history of insects, such as termites, with a unprecedented resolution (Bourguignon et al 2015), but also provides a phylogenetic framework for monitoring arthropod biodiversity in soils with high-throughput DNA sequencing approaches (And ujar et al 2015;Crampton-Platt et al 2015).…”