First complete female mitochondrial genome in four bivalve species genus Donax and their phylogenetic relationships within the Veneroida order

• Published in: PloS one 2017-09, Vol.12 (9), p.e0184464-e0184464
• Main Authors: Fernández-Pérez, Jenyfer, Nantón, Ana, Ruiz-Ruano, Francisco J, Camacho, Juan Pedro M, Méndez, Josefina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquaculture; ATP8 gene; Bayesian analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Bivalvia; Bivalvia - classification; Bivalvia - genetics; Coastal environments; Computational Biology - methods; Computer and Information Sciences; Conservation; Cyclooxygenase-2; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Donacidae; Donax; Economic importance; Female; Females; Fishing; Gene Order; Gene sequencing; Genes; Genetic markers; Genetic resources; Genome, Mitochondrial; Genomes; Genomics; Genomics - methods; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial DNA; Molecular Sequence Annotation; Mollusks; Open Reading Frames; Overexploitation; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Research and Analysis Methods; Resource conservation; RNA, Ribosomal - genetics; RNA, Transfer - genetics; Species; Tellinoidea; Transfer RNA; Untranslated Regions; Veneroida
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184464

Four species of the genus Donax (D. semistriatus, D. trunculus, D. variegatus and D. vittatus) are common on Iberian Peninsula coasts. Nevertheless, despite their economic importance and overexploitation, scarce genetic resources are available. In this work, we newly determined the complete mitochondrial genomes of these four representatives of the family Donacidae, with the aim of contributing to unveil phylogenetic relationships within the Veneroida order, and of developing genetic markers being useful in wedge clam identification and authentication, and aquaculture stock management. The complete female mitochondrial genomes of the four species vary in size from 17,044 to 17,365 bp, and encode 13 protein-coding genes (including the atp8 gene), 2 rRNAs and 22 tRNAs, all located on the same strand. A long non-coding region was identified in each of the four Donax species between cob and cox2 genes, presumably corresponding to the Control Region. The Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analysis of the Veneroida order indicate that all four species of Donax form a single clade as a sister group of other bivalves within the Tellinoidea superfamily. However, although Tellinoidea is actually monophyletic, none of its families are monophyletic. Sequencing of complete mitochondrial genomes provides highly valuable information to establish the phylogenetic relationships within the Veneroida order. Furthermore, we provide here significant genetic resources for further research and conservation of this commercially important fishing resource.