Cloning and characterization of Daphnia mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

The mitochondrial genome of Daphnia pulex (Crustacea, Cladocera) was cloned as a single fragment into the plasmid vector pUC12. The genome size, estimated from restriction endonuclease fragment lengths, is 15,400 +/- 200 base pairs. The GC content, estimated from thermal denaturation studies, is 42%. The positions of 39 cleavage sites were mapped for 14 restriction enzymes. The distribution of these sites within the genome is random (P = 0.44). Heterologous hybridizations with Drosophila sylvestris mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) probes indicate that gene orders within Daphnia and Drosophila mtDNAs are similar.