Sequencing of the whole mitochondrial genome of the Brazilian stingless bee; Melipona scutellaris

Background In the America, from Mexico to Argentina, the genus Melipona has a great diversity of species, mainly in the Amazonian region, and a crucial pollination role. It is already well-known the importance of Brazilian stingless bees as pollinators, as well as producers of good honey, pollen, wax and propolis [1]. The present study is about the characterization of the mitochondrial genome of Melipona scutellaris, a Brazilian stingless bee, commonly found in the Northeast Region [2]. At first, the characterization of bees was based mostly on morphological and behavioral criteria. With advances in molecular biology, such visual criteria proved not to be reliable in all cases. Since the mitochondrial genome is well conserved among this animal species, it has been effectively used as a phylogenetic and evolutionary tool. Furthermore, the interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes has important functions in the gene regulation of both [3]. Basically, the mitochondrial genome is about 16 kb long and it is composed approximately of 37 genes, of which there are the two ribosomal subunits (12S and 16S), 22 tRNAs and 13 proteins (three subunits of cytochrome oxidase, cytochrome B, subunits 6 and 8 of ATP synthase and seven subunits of NADH dehydrogenase) and still an A/T repetitive region [1]. In this study, our reference organism is the Melipona bicolor, a stingless bee also found in Brazil.