We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome
for ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis. Two large DNA fragments covering the entir
e genome were amplified using a long polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techni
que, and the products subsequently used as templates for PCR with 57 fish-v
ersatile and five species-specific primers that amplify contiguous, overlap
ping segments of the entire genome. Direct sequencing of the PCR products d
emonstrated that the genome (16 537 bp) contained the same 37 mitochondrial
genes (two ribosomal RNA, 22 transfer RNA, and 13 protein-coding genes) as
those found in other vertebrates, with the gene order identical to that in
typical vertebrates. A major non-coding region between the tRNA(Pro) and t
RNA(Phe) genes (857 bp) was considered to be the control region (D-loop), a
s it has several conservative blocks that are characteristic to this region
.