The Mitochondrial Genomics of Parasitic Nematodes of Socio-Economic Importance: Recent Progress, and Implications for Population Genetics and Systematics

Abstract

Mitochondria are subcellular organelles in which oxidative phosphorylation and other important biochemical functions take place within the cell. Within these organelles is a genome, called the mitochondrial (mt) genome, which is distinct from, but cooperates closely with the nuclear genome of the cell. Investigating mt genomes has significant implications for various fundamental research areas, including mt biochemistry and physiology, and, importantly, such genomes provide a rich source of markers for population genetic and systematic studies. While ∼250 complete mt genome sequences have been determined for a range of metazoan organisms from various phyla, few of these represent parasitic h..