Pan-mitochondrial Genomic Analysis of Felis catus: Insights into Cat Domestication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17381813Keywords:
adaptive evolution, mitochondrial genome, nad5, phylogenomic analysesAbstract
Despite the popularity and diversity of domestic cats (Felis catus), the genetic adaptations resulting from their domestication remain largely unknown. To address this, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of five Chinese domestic cats and combined them with 126 publicly available sequences to create a comprehensive dataset. Phylogenomic analyses revealed significant genetic diversity within domestic cat lineages, distinct from their wild relatives (F. silvestris). Selective pressure analysis indicated that all 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes are under purifying selection in domestic cats. We identified 16 stable variations differentiating domestic cats from wildcats, including a non-synonymous mutation in nad5, which encodes a subunit of mitochondrial respiratory complex I and is crucial for energy metabolism. Importantly, nad5 is under purifying selection in both groups, with domestic cats experiencing slightly stronger selection. Our findings illuminate the impact of domestication on mitochondrial genome evolution in cats, particularly selection on the respiratory gene nad5, providing insights into adaptive responses to human-modified environments.
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