Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology

The Mitochondrial Genome of Erpobdella octoculata (Hirudinida: Arhynchobdellida), as the First Representative for the Suborder Erpobdelliformes

Abstract

Yun-Ling Xu, Ling Xiao and Jing Nie

Erpobdella octoculata Linnaeus, 1758 (Hirudinea: Arhynchobdellida: Erpobdellidae) is a very common and morphologically variable macrophagous predators of aquatic invertebrates. Here we determined the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence of this species, as the first representative of the suborder Erpobdelliformes. This genome is 14,407 bp in length with an A+T content of 71.55%, containing 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and a non-coding region (NCR). All genes were arranged in the same order as most reported annelid. A remarkable strand bias found for all protein coding genes (PCGs) was positive AT-skew and negative GC-skew. The models of secondary structures for the two rRNA genes of this species were predicted. rrnL consisted of six domains and 46 helices, while three domains and 34 helices for rrnS. The secondary structures of some transfer RNA genes were relatively special. Bayesian phylogenetic and maximum likelihood analyses, based on concatenated nucleotide sequences of 12 PCGs, placed E. octoculata within the suborder Hirudiniformes, and the relationships depicted within that order were not quite in agreement with previous morphological classifications. The complete mtDNA sequence of E. octoculata provides important genetic markers for identification, ecological and evolutionary studies of leeches.