Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica +

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome for the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica (Teleostei: Anguilliformes). The entire genome was purified by gene amplification using a long polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, and the products were subsequently used as templates for PCR with 60 fish-versatile and six species-specific primers that amplify contiguous, overlapping segments of the entire genome. Direct sequencing of the PCR products demonstrated that the genome [16 685 base pairs (bp)] contained the same 37 mitochondrial genes (two ribosomal RNA, 22 transfer RNA and 13 protein-coding genes) as found in other vertebrates, with the gene order identical to that in typical vertebrates. A major non-coding region between the tRNAPro and tRNAPhe genes (967 bp) was considered as the control region (D-loop), as it has several conservative blocks characteristic to this region.