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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Genotyping Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Mitochondrial Genome by Pyrosequencing
Published on: February 10, 2023
Current intraspecific dynamics of sequence evolution differs from long-term trends and can account for the
1Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia. koulianos@eco.umnw.ethz.ch
Abstract:
The very high AT content of hymenopteran mtDNA has warranted speculation about nucleotide substitution processes in this group. Here we investigate the pattern of honeybee, Apis mellifera, mtDNA nucleotide polymorphisms inferred from phylogeny in terms of differences between the ATPase6, COI, COII, COIII, cytochrome b, and ND2 genes and strand asymmetry in mutation rates. The observed transition/transversion ratios and the distribution of nonsynonymous substitutions between regions differed significantly. The pattern of differences between genes leading to these heterogeneities (the ATPase6 and COIII genes group apart from the rest) differed markedly from that predicted on the basis of long-term evolutionary change and may indicate differences between current and long-term dynamics of sequence evolution. Also, there is strong strand asymmetry in substitutions, which probably results in a mutability of G and C sufficiently high to account for the AT-richness of honeybee mtDNA.
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