Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the common Mexican mustached bat Pteronotus mexicanus.

Abstract

This study presents the characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Pteronotus mexicanus, an endemic species from Mexico and a representative of the family Mormoopidae. The mitogenome was assembled de novo using the program GetOrganelle, and gene annotation was performed with the software MITOS2. The newly assembled mitogenome has a total length of 16,762 base pairs and exhibits the typical mammalian gene organization: 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a non-coding region commonly referred to as the control region. The nucleotide composition of the mitogenome was A = 33.10%, T = 25.29%, C = 27.89%, and G = 13.72%, with an overall A + T content of 58.39%. Codon usage analysis revealed preferences consistent with the adenine- and thymine-rich composition characteristic of vertebrate mitochondrial DNA. Ka/Ks ratio values estimated indicated purifying selective pressure on the protein-coding genes. Predicted secondary structures of tRNAs exhibited the typical cloverleaf configuration, except for trnS1, which lacks the DHU arm-a common feature among mammals. The phylogenetic position of the common Mexican mustached bat supports the monophyly of the genus within the superfamily Noctilionoidea. This study represents the first comprehensive description of the mitogenome of P. mexicanus and provides a valuable molecular resource for future research on the systematics, phylogeny, and population genetics of Neotropical bats.