%0 Journal Article %T Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Urechis caupo, a representative of the phylum Echiura %A Jeffrey L Boore %J BMC Genomics %D 2004 %I BioMed Central %R 10.1186/1471-2164-5-67 %X This mtDNA is 15,113 nts in length and 62% A+T. It contains the 37 genes that are typical for animal mtDNAs in an arrangement somewhat similar to that of annelid worms. All genes are encoded by the same DNA strand which is rich in A and C relative to the opposite strand. Codons ending with the dinucleotide GG are more frequent than would be expected from apparent mutational biases. The largest non-coding region is only 282 nts long, is 71% A+T, and has potential for secondary structures.Urechis caupo mtDNA shares many features with those of the few studied annelids, including the common usage of ATG start codons, unusual among animal mtDNAs, as well as gene arrangements, tRNA structures, and codon usage biases.Mitochondrial genomes are physically separate from the nuclear genome. For animals, they are typically circular with a compact arrangement of an identical set of 37 genes [1]. For some animals, all genes are on the same strand, whereas for others they are divided between the two. The arrangement of these genes can remain stable for long periods of time; for example, human [2] and shark [3] mtDNAs have the same gene arrangement, and do those of fruit fly [4] and shrimp [5]. However, in other lineages, rearrangements have occurred much more rapidly. Many of the same processes that occur in large and complex nuclear genomes also take place in these diminutive genomes, so comparisons among mtDNAs can address general questions of genome evolution, but in a model system that is much more tractable for a large number of taxa.Toward this end, this article describes the complete mtDNA sequence of the fat innkeeper worm, Urechis caupo, the first example from the phylum Echiura. Echiurans comprise about 150 species and are commonly called spoon worms because of the shape of their extensible proboscis. Unlike annelids, they have no overt segmentation, but they develop via trochophore larvae, very similar to those of annelids. U. caupo is a pink, sausage shaped worm that l %K mtDNA %K evolution %K gene rearrangement %K annelid %K strand skew %U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/5/67