• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제28권4호
• /
• pp.347-363
• /
• 2009

The 15,389-bp long complete mitogenome of the endangered red-spotted apollo butterfly, Parnassius bremeri (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) was determined in this study. The start codon for the COI gene in insects has been extensively discussed, and has long remained a matter of some controversy. Herein, we propose that the CGA (arginine) sequence functions as the start codon for the COI gene in lepidopteran insects, on the basis of complete mitogenome sequences of lepidopteran insects, including P. bremeri, as well as additional sequences of the COI start region from a diverse taxonomic range of lepidopteran species (a total of 53 species from 15 families). In our extensive search for a tRNA-like structure in the A+T-rich region, one $tRNA^{Trp}$-like sequence and one $tRNA^{Leu}(UUR)$-like sequence were detected in the P. bremeri A+T-rich region, and one or more tRNA-like structures were detected in the A+T-rich region of the majority of other sequenced lepidopteran insects, thereby indicating that such features occur frequently in the lepidopteran mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analysis using the concatenated 13 amino acid sequences and nucleotide sequences of PCGs of the four macrolepidopteran superfamilies together with the Tortricoidea and Pyraloidea resulted in the successful recovery of a monophyly of Papilionoidea and a monophyly of Bombycoidea. However, the Geometroidea were unexpectedly identified as a sister group of the Bombycoidea, rather than the Papilionoidea.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• 제35권1호
• /
• pp.30-38
• /
• 2017

The red-spotted apollo butterfly, Parnassius bremeri Bremer, 1864 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), is an endangered species in South Korea. Development and application of molecular markers to assess population genetics perspectives can be used as a basis to establish effective conservation strategies. In this study, we developed 12 microsatellite markers specific to P. bremeri using Illumina paired-end sequencing and applied the markers to South Korean populations to understand population characteristics. Genotyping of 40 P. bremeri individuals from three localities showed that at each locus, the observed number of alleles ranged from 6 to 22 and the observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.500-1.00 and 0.465 to 0.851, respectively. Significant deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was not observed in all loci studied. The population based $F_{ST}$ and $R_{ST}$ collectively suggest that at least the Samcheok population in northernmost Gangwon Province has a significant divergence from the remaining two populations (P < 0.01), and this result is also reflected in the forewing length. Further studies with an increased sample size will be necessary to draw robust conclusions and devise conservation strategies.