Divergent NUMT mimicking functional coding region of the mitochondrial genome

A NUMT in the sawfly Euura vittata contains the full mitochondrial coding region in the same gene order, differing by 3.2% (4.1% for COI).

• Why it matters: NUMTs can mimic functional mitochondrial sequences, risking misinterpretation of mitochondrial variation such as divergent heteroplasmy.
• What they did: Long-read sequencing identified the NUMT and compared it to the mitochondrial genome, then assessed the whole-genome assembly contig for coverage consistent with single-copy nuclear integration.
• The result: The NUMT’s apparent functionality under the mitochondrial code is likely misleading, and its divergence may reflect recent mitochondrial introgression, implying heteroplasmy reports should be validated with long-read or RNA sequencing.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.