动物线粒体DNA的特异结构及应用分子系统学分析的方法

Structural Characteristics of Animal's Mitochondrial DNA and its Application on Molecular Systematics

动物线粒体是一种存在真核生物细胞质中的细胞器,根据已经测序的动物线粒体DNA,它可编码13种蛋白质,2种rRNA,22种tRNA,和非编码区(D-Loop),已有报道发现了新的R-Loop结构,呈现母性遗传特点,且其平均进化速度是核基因组的10倍,尤其是D-Loop区.同时在线粒体DNA控制区中发现的重复序列在种间甚至种内存在着差异可作为动物特异的分子标记。根据线粒体的结构和遗传特点,借助生物信息学手段和丰富的数据库资源,对动物种间及种内群体进行分子系统学的研究,并确定分类地位,亲缘关系。

The mitochondfion of animals is a organelle appearing in cytoplam of eukaryotes. According to the complete sequences that have been sequenced, it contains genes encoding 13 proteins, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs and one major non-coding region（ D-Loop）. It is reported that a R-Loop structure has been found, with the characteristics of maternal inheritance, and the average evolution rate is 10 times faster than that of nuclear genome, especially D-Loop. The existence of tandemly repeat sequences in control region of mitochondria would be regarded as a special molecular marker in animals researches because of the interspeeies and intraspecies differences. According to the structural and genetic characteristics of mtDNA, by means of advanced bioinformatics and rich databases, the researchers have made great progress in the field of molecular phylogenetics of animal populations, and make certain taxonomic status, interspecies and intraspecies relationship.