Evolution and structural organisation of mitochondrial DNA control region of myiasis-causing flies.

Summary This study reports the molecular characterization of the mtDNA control region (called the A + T-rich region in insects) of five dipteran species which cause myiasis: Cochliomyia hominivorax Coquerel, Cochliomyia macellaria Fabricius, Chrysomya megacephala Fabricius, Lucilia eximia Wiedemann (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Dermatobia hominis Linnaeus Jr (Diptera: Oestridae). The control region in these species varies in length from 1000 to 1600 bp. Two structural domains with specific evolutionary patterns were identified. These were (1) conserved sequence blocks containing primary sequence motifs, including dinucleotide pyrimidine-purine series and long T-stretches, located at the 5′ end adjacent to the tRNAIle gene and (2) a hypervariable domain at the 3′ end characterized by increased nucleotide divergence and size variation. A high frequency of AT transversions at nucleotide substitution level indicated directional mutation pressure. The phylogenetic usefulness of the insect control region is discussed.