Extensive mitochondrial heteroplasmy in the neotropical ants of the Ectatomma ruidum complex (Formicidae: Ectatomminae). (17th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Meza-Lázaro, Rubi N.; Poteaux, Chantal; Bayona-Vásquez, Natalia J.; Branstetter, Michael G.; Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro
• Is Part Of: Mitochondrial DNA. Volume 29:Number 8(2018)
• Page Start: 1203
• Page End: 1214
• Publication Date: 2018-11-17
• Subjects: Mitochondrial genome -- Formicidae -- heteroplasmy -- paternal leakage -- numts -- phasing haplotypes -- hymenoptera
• DOI: 10.1080/24701394.2018.1431228
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2380-2359

Abstract

Abstract: We assembled mitogenomes from 21 ant workers assigned to four morphospecies ( E. ruidum spp. 1-4) and putative hybrids of the Ectatomma ruidum complex ( E. ruidum spp. 2x3), and to E. tuberculatum using NGS data. Mitogenomes from specimens of E. ruidum spp. 3, 4 and 2 × 3 had a high proportion of polymorphic sites. We investigated whether polymorphisms in mitogenomes are due to nuclear mt paralogues ( numts ) or due to the presence of more than one mitogenome within an individual (heteroplasmy). We did not find loss of function signals in polymorphic protein-coding genes, and observed strong evidence for purifying selection in two haplotype-phased genes, which indicate the presence of two functional mitochondrial genomes coexisting within individuals instead of numts . Heteroplasmy due to hybrid paternal leakage is not supported by phylogenetic analyses. Our results reveal the presence of a fast-evolving secondary mitochondrial lineage of uncertain origin in the E. ruidum complex.