Mitochondrial COI gene transfers to the nuclear genome of Dendroctonus valens and its implications

Mitochondrial gene transfer to the nuclear genome could affect the accuracy of results in population genetics and evolutionary studies using mitochondrial gene markers. In a population genetics study of the red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens), an invasive species in China, we found numerous ambiguous sites existing in the Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene sequences obtained directly from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products amplified from total genomic DNA using universal primers. By comparing the profiles of restriction endonuclease digestions and the sequences of PCR products amplified from mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA of the same individuals, we confirmed it was a phenomenon of mitochondrial gene transfer to the nuclear genome. Large numbers of COI pseudogenes were detected in this species. According to different levels of condon position bias and phylogenetic analysis, these should have originated from independent integration events. The impact of nuclear mitochondrial DNA sequences on population genetics analyses was discussed.