Identification of evolutionary conserved structural elements in the mt SSU rRNA of Zygaenoidea (Lepidoptera): A comparative sequence analysis

Knowledge of the secondary structure of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules has become increasingly important in phylogenetic analyses. Advances in RNA substitution models have underlined the need for reliable secondary-structure models for individual taxonomic groups. The present investigation aims to infer a secondary-structure model of the mt SSU (12S) rRNA of Zygaenoidea using a comparative approach. Structural variation of the 12S rRNA molecule proves to be minor among the investigated species, although at least two helices exhibit taxon-specific deviations. The consensus structure of the zygaenoid mt SSU rRNA clearly differs from the structure published for Bombyx mori and challenges some helices proposed in the silk moth model. Our analyses demonstrate the need for taxon-specific rRNA models, which can capture evolutionary patterns in these molecules far better than general eukaryotic consensus structures and thus provide an improved basis for phylogenetic analyses incorporating secondary-structure information.