Long-read sequencing reveals that the mitochondrial genome of an individual is a mixture of structural variants with an invariable core region and heterogeneous repeat regions
Dirks, Ron P Jansen, Hans J Veneman, Wouter J Segobola, Jane Baede, Valérie O Blažeková, Veronika Stanko, Michal Víchová, Bronislava Sprong, Hein
Dirks, Ron P
Jansen, Hans J
Veneman, Wouter J
Segobola, Jane
Baede, Valérie O
Blažeková, Veronika
Stanko, Michal
Víchová, Bronislava
Sprong, Hein
Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Journal Article
Article
Article
Language
en
Date of publication
2026-01-02
Year of publication
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
Long-read sequencing reveals that the mitochondrial genome of an individual is a mixture of structural variants with an invariable core region and heterogeneous repeat regions
Translated Title
Published in
Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis 2026; 9:100346
Abstract
The encyrtid wasp (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) predates on a broad range of tick species, including the important disease vectors of the complex. This wasp is a promising candidate for the biological control of tick populations. To support future studies on the biological interaction between ticks and tick wasps, the complete genome sequence of was determined using nanopore long-read technology. This work presents the complete mitochondrial genome of a singular . In-depth annotation of multiple nanopore long reads revealed that the mtDNA genome is a mixture of structural variants. It consists of an invariable ∼15.2-kb core flanked by variable regions. Together, this variable region contains tens of copies of a 92-bp repeat unit, two copies of a ∼340-bp repeat unit, and up to more than 1500 copies of a TA-dinucleotide. Parts of the mtDNA core sequence and the repeat region have integrated a few hundred times into the nuclear genome of . Our study shows that long-read DNA sequencing is essential for reliable assembly of insect mtDNA genomes.