Meeting Abstract
30.2 Friday, Jan. 4 Phylogenetic relationships within Terebelliformia worms (Polychaeta, Annelida) and evolutionary implications of mitochondrial genomic data ZHONG, M.*; STRUCK, T.H.; HALANYCH, K.M.; Auburn Univ.; Univ. of Osnabr�ck. Germany; Auburn Univ. zhongmi@auburn.edu
To further understand the phylogenetic potential of complete mitochondrial genomic data in Annelida (segmented worms), we are exploring evolutionary patterns of mitochondrial genomes across Annelida and elucidating phylogenetic relationships among the five recognized families within Terebelliformia. We sequenced the mitochondrial genomes from the five Terebelliformia families (Eclysippe vanelli �Ampharetidae, Auchenoplax crinita�Ampharetidae, Paravinella sulfincola�Alvinellidae, Pista cristata �Terebellidae, Terebellides stroemi �Trichobranchidae, and Pectinaria sp.�Pectinariidae). Our mtDNA data show that Trichobranchidae and Terebellidae are sister lineages, to the exclusion of clustered Ampharetidae and Alvinellidae clade. mtDNA gene arrangement is identical for P. cristata and T. stroemi. This gene arrangement and high phylogenetic support is consistent with a close affiliation between these lineages. Additionally, we found 2 adjacent Met-tRNAs in T. stroemi, P. cristata and Pectinaria sp. have the identical anticodons. These 2 Met-tRNAs appear to be derived from the same gene duplication, which provides a potential synapomorphy for a close relationship of these groups. All of five genomes are AT bias and microsatellite-like repeated sequences were found in the control region of both T. stroemiand P. cristata, which indicates potentially complex secondary structures. Gene arrangement of the two ampharetids differ in placement of the UNK region, Nad5 and a few tRNA genes that make this region less conserved across annelids than previous hypothesis. Our preliminary data also suggest a monophyletic group of four Terebelliform families (Trichobranchidae, Terebellidae, Ampharetidae and Alvinellidae) associated with Maldanidae.
