The complete mitochondrial genome of Barbastella caspica (Chiroptera:
Vespertilionidae): the first record in China
Abstract
Bat populations are highly diverse, making bat species taxonomy and
phylogenetic relationships an important research topic. Mitochondrial
DNA, a form of maternal inheritance, has been extensively used in
species relationship research. Barbastella caspica has spread widely in
the Caspian region, Iran, and Central Asia, however there is no evidence
of its occurrence in China. During a field investigation, we obtained a
single specimen of the B. caspica species for the first time in China’s
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. We sequenced the entire mitochondrial
genome, presented its genomic structure and features, and examined its
evolutionary position in relation to its congenerous. The mitochondrial
genome of B. caspica spans 16,933 bp, composing 13 protein-coding genes,
22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a displacement
loop/control region. Consistent with previous bat mitogenome reports,
the majority of mitochondrial genes are encoded on the heavy chain. With
the exception of the DHU arm in tRNA-Ser1, all other tRNAs exhibit a
“cloverleaf” secondary structure. Phylogenetic analysis based on 13
protein-coding genes revealed that Rhogeessa, Plecotus, and B. caspica
formed one clade within the Vespertilionidae. B. caspica was found to be
a sister species to B. beijingensis and B. leucomelas in the
phylogenetic trees using the cytochrome b and ND1 gene sequences,
respectively. This is the first report of the Barbastella genus’
mitogenome, as well as the first record of a B. caspica species from
China.