The complete mitochondrial genome of <i>Dunaliella salina</i> CS-265: insights into gene content and phylogenetic placement
Abstract
We report the complete mitochondrial genome of the halotolerant green alga <i>Dunaliella salina</i> CS-265, isolated from a hypersaline lake in central Australia. The genome is a circular DNA molecule of 30,073 bp, encoding seven protein-coding genes, nine rRNAs, and three tRNAs. Four core genes (<i>cox1</i>, <i>cob</i>, <i>nad1</i>, and <i>nad5</i>) are fragmented by multiple introns, whereas others remain intact. The absence of ATP synthase subunits and ribosomal protein genes reflects ongoing reductive evolution in <i>Dunaliella</i> mitochondria. This genome adds a new organellar resource from an Australian isolate, complementing previous studies and providing further insight into mitochondrial genome dynamics in halotolerant green algae.