中文摘要：

动物线粒体DNA作为遗传标记广泛用于从种内到高级阶元的许多生物学领域,这些应用是建立在线粒体DNA的严格母系遗传方式和不发生重组的基础上的。近年来的研究提出了一些能够证明动物mtDNA发生重组的直接和间接证据。动物mtDNA重组可能主要通过两条途径发生,一条途径是母系mtDNA与核基因组中mtDNA假基因间发生重组 另一条途径是通过父系渗漏引起的不同单倍型的双亲mtDNA间发生重组。父系渗漏是最可能的途径。如果动物界广泛存在线粒体DNA重组,将会对以mtDNA严格母系遗传为基础的许多应用领域产生重要影响。

英文摘要：

Animal mitochondrial DNA as a genetic marker has been used extensively in many biological fields from intraspecific to higher taxonomic categories. Most of these applications are based on the properties of strict maternal inheritance and non-recombination of mtDNA. Recent studies have provided some indirect and direct evidence of animal mtDNA recombination. Animal mtDNA recombination might occur by two main pathways, recombination between the maternal mtDNA and a nuclear encoded pseudogene copy of mtDNA and the combination between paternal and maternal mtDNA haplotypes through paternal leakage. Paternal leakage appears to be the most plausible pathway of mtDNA recombination. If animal mtDNA recombination occurs commonly in animal kindom, it will have significant influences to many application areas based on strict maternal inheritance.