Mitochondrial Genomics and Phylogenetic Analysis of Stoneflies
Summary
Stoneflies (order Plecoptera) represent one of the most ancient lineages of winged insects, with a fossil record extending back to the Permian. Mitochondrial genomes have emerged as a central resource for resolving deep and shallow phylogenetic relationships among stonefly families, genera and cryptic species, owing to their compact gene organisation, maternal inheritance and relatively rapid rate of evolution in protein-coding regions. Complete mitogenomes typically comprise 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs and a non-coding control region, and provide complementary information to nuclear markers and morphological characters. Advances in high-throughput sequencing now permit routine recovery of entire mitogenomes from single specimens or environmental samples, facilitating analyses of species boundaries, biogeographic history and evolutionary rates. Integrative studies combining mitogenomic data with transcriptomics, DNA barcoding and ecological modelling have illuminated rapid radiations, intercontinental dispersal events and the role of stoneflies as sensitive indicators of freshwater ecosystem health worldwide.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have updated reference libraries for mitochondrial COI barcodes across regional stonefly faunas, enhancing accuracy in species identification and environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring. One comprehensive survey assembled over 570 COI barcodes covering all known species in a European country, revealing instances of cryptic diversity and occasional mismatches between morphology-based names and genetic clusters. This expanded dataset underpins future metabarcoding studies for water quality assessment and conservation planning.
Another report presented the complete mitogenome of a representative Perlidae species. This circular molecule of approximately 16 kb encodes the full complement of 37 mitochondrial genes and an A+T-rich control region featuring tandem repeats and stem-loop motifs. Phylogenetic reconstructions using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference firmly separated the Antarctoperlaria clade from Arctoperlaria, corroborating morphological classifications and refining interfamily relationships among modern stoneflies.
Mitochondrial Genomics and Phylogenetic Analysis of Stoneflies publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mitochondrial genomics and phylogenetic analysis of stoneflies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mitogenome: The complete mitochondrial genome, typically a circular DNA molecule encoding 37 genes and a control region.
Protein-coding genes (PCGs): Genes within the mitogenome that translate into proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation.
Control region (CR): A non-coding segment of the mitogenome rich in regulatory elements for replication and transcription.
Maximum likelihood (ML): A statistical method for inferring phylogenetic trees by finding the tree topology that maximises the probability of the observed data.
Bayesian inference (BI): A phylogenetic approach that uses probability distributions to estimate tree topologies and model parameters.
DNA barcoding: The use of a standardised gene region, often mitochondrial COI, to identify and delimit species.
Monophyly: The condition in which a group comprises an ancestor and all its descendants, forming a single clade.
References
- A comprehensive DNA barcoding reference database for Plecoptera of Switzerland. Scientific Reports (2024).
- Molecular phylogeny inferred from the mitochondrial genomes of Plecoptera with Oyamia nigribasis (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Scientific Reports (2020).
- Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Suwallia teleckojensis (Plecoptera: Chloroperlidae) and Implications for the Higher Phylogeny of Stoneflies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2018).
- The First Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Genus Isocapnia (Plecoptera: Capniidae) and Phylogenetic Assignment of Superfamily Nemouroidea. Genes (2023).
- Combining molecular datasets with strongly heterogeneous taxon coverage enlightens the peculiar biogeographic history of stoneflies (Insecta: Plecoptera). Systematic Entomology (2021).
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