To establish a noninvasive genetic diagnosing method for Kearns-Sayre syndrome, the authors used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for detecting mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions in the platelets and directly sequenced the crossover regions of the deleted mtDNA using the fluorescence-based automated sequencing system. The mtDNA deletions were identified in the platelets of three o...

The root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne spp., represent an important threat to yam (Dioscorea spp.) production in West Africa. With the aim to establish the diversity of RKN species affecting yam tubers, for control and resistance screening purposes, surveys were conducted in the main yam producing areas of Nigeria. Galled tubers (N = 48) were collected from farmers' stores and markets in ni...

BACKGROUND Multiple transitions to obligate parthenogenesis have occurred in the Daphnia pulex complex in North America. These newly formed asexual lineages are differentially distributed being found predominantly at high latitudes. This conforms to the rule of geographical parthenogenesis postulating prevalence of asexuals at high latitudes and altitudes. While the reproductive mode of high-la...

BACKGROUND Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1884) (Diptera: Culicidae), a mosquito native to Asia, has recently invaded all five continents. In Central Africa it was first reported in the early 2000s, and has since been implicated in the emergence of arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya in this region. Recent genetic studies of invasive species have shown that multiple introductions are a key fac...

Mitochondria-encoded ND (NADH dehydrogenase) subunits, as components of the hydrophobic part of complex I, are essential for NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase activity. Mutations or lack of expression of these subunits have significant pathogenic consequences in humans. However, the way these events affect complex I assembly is poorly documented. To understand the effects of particular mutations i...

Mitochondrial (mt) genes are some of the most popular and widely-utilized genetic loci in phylogenetic studies of metazoan taxa. However, their linked nature has raised questions on whether using the entire mitogenome for phylogenetics is overkill (at best) or pseudoreplication (at worst). Moreover, no studies have addressed the comparative phylogenetic utility of mitochondrial genes across ind...