Comparative Analysis of Completely Sequenced Insect Mitochondrial Genomes

This paper reports a few characteristics of seven insect mitochondrial genomes sequenced completely (Bombyx mori, Drosophila melanogaster, D. yakuba, Apis mellifera, Anopheles gambiae, A. quadrimaculatus, and Locusta migratoria). Comparative analysis of complete mt genome sequences from several species revealed a number of interesting features (base composition, gene content, A+T-rich region, and gene arrangement, etc) of insect mitochondrial genome. The properties revealed by our work shed new light on the organization and evolution of the insect mitochondrial genome and more importantly open up the way to clearly aimed experimental studies for understanding critical roles of the regulatory mechanisms (transcription and translation) in mitochondrial gene expression.