The complete mitochondrial genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of white-lipped deer ( Cervus albirostris )

The white-lipped deer ( Cervus albirostris ) is a rare and endangered species endemic to the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in China. In this study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the white-lipped deer. The total length of the mitogenome is 16473 bp. It has the typical structure of a vertebrate mitochondrial genome including 13 protein-coding genes(PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and a control region (D-loop). tRNA Ser lacks the stem of the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm and fails to form a typical cloverleaf secondary structure. A phylogenetic tree based on the 13 PCG sequences of nine species closely related to white-lipped deer shows the classification status of the species within the family Cervidae. These results provide new molecular biology information to further understand the diversity of the white-lipped deer, which will help to protect this population.