Two novel cricetine mitogenomes: Insight into the mitogenomic characteristics and phylogeny in Cricetinae (Rodentia: Cricetidae).

Both Cricetus cricetus and Phodopus sungorus mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) were sequenced and elaborated for the first time in the present study. Their mitogenomes contained 37 genes and showed typical characteristics of the vertebrate mitogenome. Comparative analysis of 10 cricetine mitogenomes indicated that they shared similar characteristics with those of other cricetines in terms of genes arrangement, nucleotide composition, codon usage, tRNA structure, nucleotide skew and the origin of replication of light strand. Phylogenetic relationship of the subfamily Cricetinae was reconstructed using mitogenomes data with the methods of Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Cricetulus kamensis was at basal position and phylogenetically distant from all other Cricetulus species but had a close relationship with the group of Phodopus, and supported that the genus Urocricetus deserved as a separate genus rank. The phylogenetic status of Tscherskia triton represented a separate clade corresponding to a diversified cricetine lineage (Cricetulus, Allocricetulus, and Cricetus).