Comparative mitochondrial genomics of endemic Mexican vesper yellow bats genus Rhogeessa (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) and insights into internal relationships in the family Vespertilionidae

• Published in: Gene 2024-08, Vol.918, p.148492-148492, Article 148492
• Main Authors: Martínez-Cárdenas, Anahí, Becerril, Valeria, Ortega, Jorge, López-Cuamatzi, Issachar L., Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquín, Díaz-Pacheco, Iván, Antonio Baeza, J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Chiroptera - classification; Chiroptera - genetics; ecosystems; family; genes; Genome, Mitochondrial; Genomics - methods; genus; insectivores; Mexico; mitochondrial genome; Mitogenome; mitogenomics; monophyly; pest control; Phylogeny; Phylomitogenomics; RNA, Transfer - genetics; Selective pressures; species; transfer RNA; Vesper bats; Vespertilionidae
• ISSN: 0378-1119; 1879-0038
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148492

•This manuscript is mainly based on the description of mtDNA for some species of the genus Rhogeessa, in addition to highlighting their phylogenetic position within the family group Vespertilionidae. Our results show a conserved consistency in the different elements that make up mitochondrial DNA, consistent with what was previously reported for other bat species. In the species-rich family Vespertilionidae, vesper yellow bats in the genus Rhogeessa include eleven species, three of them endemic to Mexico. These insectivorous bats provide important ecosystem services, including pest control. Even though some aspects of their biology are well- known, only a few genomic resources are available for these species, which limits our understanding of their biology. In this study, we assembled and annotated the mitochondrial genome of four species: R. aenea, R. genowaysi, R. mira, and R. parvula. We generated a phylomitogenomic hypothesis based on translated protein-coding genes for a total of 52 species in the family Vespertilionidae and examined the phylogenetic position of the genus Rhogeessa and species within the family. The AT-rich mitogenomes of R. aenea, R. genowaysi, R. mira, and R. parvula are 16,763, 16,781, 16,807, and 16,794 pb in length, respectively. Each studied mitogenome encodes 13 Protein Coding Genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes, and contains a putative control region (CR). All tRNAs exhibit a ‘cloverleaf’ secondary structure, except tRNA-Serine-1 that lacked the DHU arm in all studied mitogenomes. Selective pressure analyses indicated that all protein-coding genes are exposed to purifying selection. The phylomitogenomic analysis supported the monophyletic status of the family Vespertilionidae, confirmed the placement of Rhogeessa within the tribe Antrozoini, and clarified phylogenetic relationships within and among subfamilies and tribes in this family. Our results indicate that phylomitogenomics are useful to explore the evolutionary history of vesper bats. The assembly and comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial genomes offer the potential to generate molecular references and resources beneficial for genetic analyses aimed at understanding the ecology and evolution of these remarkable bats.