Comparison of mitochondrial DNA enrichment and sequencing methods from fish tissue

Sparid fish species have different commercial values related to their organoleptic features. Mitochondrial (mt) DNA provides a potential tool to distinguish species, but the enrichment of high-quality mtDNA from total genomic DNA is critical to obtain entire mtDNA sequences. Conventional mtDNA isolation is relatively low-cost and proficient. However, high numbers of PCR cycles can lead to artefacts (10-6 mutations/bp). We describe a rapid protocol for mtDNA extraction and enrichment from fish tissues, based on conventional miniprep columns and paramagnetic bead-based purification, without the need to employ PCR amplification. This newly described method generates a substrate for next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis and is likely to have wider applications for mitochondrial studies in other fish families to help ensure traceability and differentiation of fish with high commercial values.