Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in Japanese scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis

Foranimals, the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is predominantly maternal. Recently, doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) of mtDNA in some bivalves (the families Mytilidae, Unionidae and Veneridae) has been discovered. The discovery of DUI of mtDNA has challenged the traditional maternal inheritance,andestablished a unique system to test for evolutionary forces acting on mitochondrial genomes. However, whether DUI of mtDNA is widely distributed among bivalves is uncertain. In this paper, the mitochondrial inheritancemodel of Japanese scallop Patinopecten yessoensis was investigated. The results suggest that there is no difference in the mtDNA between somatic and gametic tissues in the same individual. The family test shows that mitochondrial haplotypes of offspring (D-shaped larvae) are the same as those of mothers. No evidence for DUI of mtDNA in P.yessoensis is found.