Evidence for Selection on Mitochondrial OXPHOS Genes in the Mediterranean Killifish Valenciennes, 1821.

Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes are a system subject to selection under determined environmental constraints despite a neutral evolution model that has long been hypothesized for the mitochondrial genome. In this study, the sequences of , , and OXPHOS genes were analyzed in six populations of the eurythermal and euryhaline killifish , to detect non-synonymous mutations leading to amino acid changes and to check whether selection acted on them using tests of recombination and selection. The results indicate a high and gene diversity and a high percentage of private haplotypes in all populations.

First Report of Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Variation in (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) from Polluted and Control Sites.

Mitochondrial DNA easily undergoes alterations due to exposure to stress factors. In particular, mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) variation can be used as a biomarker of the effect of exposure to various environmental contaminants. In this study, a molecular investigation based on the evaluation of mtDNAcn variation was applied for the first time to individuals belonging to the species .

COIBar-RFLP Molecular Strategy Discriminates Species and Unveils Commercial Frauds in Fishery Products.

The DNA analysis is the best approach to authenticate species in seafood products and to unveil frauds based on species substitution. In this study, a molecular strategy coupling Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) DNA barcoding with the consolidated methodology of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs), named COIBar-RFLP, was applied for searching pattern of restriction enzyme digestion, useful to discriminate seven different fish species (juveniles of and sold in Italy as "bianchetto" and sold as "rossetto"; icefish ; European perch, and the Nile Perch, striped catfish, ). A total of 30 fresh and frozen samples were processed for DNA barcoding, analyzed against a barcode library of COI sequences retrieved from GenBank, and validated for COIBar-RFLP analysis.

Geographic Pattern of Sushi Product Misdescription in Italy-A Crosstalk between Citizen Science and DNA Barcoding.

The food safety of sushi and the health of consumers are currently of high concern for food safety agencies across the world due to the globally widespread consumption of these products. The microbiological and toxicological risks derived from the consumption of raw fish and seafood have been highlighted worldwide, while the practice of species substitution in sushi products has attracted the interest of researchers more than food safety agencies. In this study, samples of sushi were processed for species authentication using the Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene as a DNA barcode.