Comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of newly sequenced Turdoides affinis mitogenome reveals the persistence of translational efficiency and dominance of NADH dehydrogenase complex-I in electron transport system over Leiothrichidae family

Mitochondrial genome provides useful information about species with respect to its evolution and phylogenetics. We have taken the advantage of high throughput next-generation sequencing technique to sequence the complete mitogenome of Yellow-billed babbler (Turdoides affinis), a species endemic to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Both, reference- based and de-novo assemblies of mitogenome were performed and observed that de-novo assembled mitogenome was most appropriate. The complete mitogenome of yellow-billed babbler (assembled de-novo) was 17,671 bp in length with 53.2% AT composition. Thirteen protein-coding genes along with 2 rRNAs and 22 tRNAs were detected along with duplicated control regions. The arrangement pattern of these genes was found conserved among Leiothrichidae family mitogenomes. Downstream bioinformatics analysis revealed the effect of translational efficiency and purifying selection pressure over all the thirteen protein-coding genes in yellow-billed babbler mitogenome. Moreover, genetic distance and variation analysis indicated the dominance of NADH dehydrogenase complex-I in the electron transport system of T. affinis. Evolutionary analysis revealed the conserved nature of all the protein-coding genes across Leiothrichidae family mitogenomes. Our limited phylogenetics results suggest that T. affinis is closer to Garrulax.