Abstract
During the evolution of sea urchins, a transfer RNA gene lost its tRNA function and became part of a protein-coding gene. This functional loss of a tRNA with specificity for one group of leucine codons (CUN, where N is any base) was accompanied by the gain of a new tRNA with that specificity. The new tRNA gene for CUN codons appears to have evolved by duplication and divergence from a tRNA gene specific for another group of leucine codons (UUR, where R is a purine). These proposals account for (1) the strong sequence resemblance between the modern tRNA genes for CUN and UUR codons in Paracentrotus, (2) the altered location of the CUN gene in mitochondrial DNA of this urchin, and (3) the persistence of a 72-base pair sequence containing a trace of the old CUN gene at its original location. The old CUN gene now codes for an extra 24 amino acids at the amino end of subunit 5 in NADH dehydrogenase. Besides giving clues about the mechanisms by which tRNA genes move during mitochondrial DNA evolution, this finding leads us to propose a pathway relating the arrangements of other genes in mitochondrial DNAs from four animal phyla.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cantatore, P. et al. Gene 53, 41–54 (1987).
Cantatore, P., Roberti, M., Rainaldi, G., Saccone, C. & Gadaleta, M. N. Curr. Genet. (in the press).
Attardi, G. Int. Rev. Cytol. 93, 93–145 (1985).
Cantatore, P. & Saccone, C. Int. Rev. Cytol. 108, 149–208 (1987).
Lanave, C., Preparata, G., Saccone, C. & Serio, G. J. molec. Evol. 20, 86–93 (1984).
Vawter, L. & Brown, W. M. Science 234, 194–196 (1986).
Smith, A. Echinoid Palaeobiology (Allen & Unwin, London, 1984).
Bibb, M. J., Van Etten, R. A., Wright, C. T., Walberg, M. W. & Clayton, D. A. Cell 26, 167–180 (1981).
Cantatore, P. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 3279–3289 (1982).
Wilson, A. C. et al. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. Lond. 26, 375–400 (1985).
Pietromonaco, S. F., Hessler, R. A. & O'Brien, T. W. J. molec. Evol. 24, 110–117 (1986).
Roe, B. A., Ma, D.-P., Wilson, R. K. & Wong, J. F.-H. J. biol. Chem. 260, 9759–9774 (1985).
Anderson, S. et al. J. molec. Biol. 156, 683–717 (1982).
Brown, G. G., Gadaleta, G., Pepe, G., Saccone, C. & Sbisà, E. J. molec. Biol. 192, 503–511 (1986).
Clary, D. O. & Wolstenholme, D. R. J. molec. Evol. 22, 252–271 (1985).
Olivo, P. D., Van den Walle, M. J., Laipis, P. J. & Hauswirth, W. W. Nature 306, 400–402 (1983).
Wolstenholme, D. R., Macfarlane, J. L., Okimoto, R., Clary, D. O. & Wahleithner, J. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 1324–1328 (1987).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cantatore, P., Gadaleta, M., Roberti, M. et al. Duplication and remoulding of tRNA genes during the evolutionary rearrangement of mitochondrial genomes. Nature 329, 853–855 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/329853a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/329853a0
This article is cited by
-
Characterization of the mitochondrial Huso huso genome and new aspects of its organization in the presence of tandem repeats in 12S rRNA
BMC Ecology and Evolution (2023)
-
The complete mitochondrial genome and novel gene arrangement in Nesodiprion zhejiangensis Zhou & Xiao (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae)
Functional & Integrative Genomics (2023)
-
The analyses of the complete mitochondrial genomes of three crabs revealed novel gene rearrangements and phylogenetic relationships of Brachyura
Molecular Biology Reports (2023)
-
Comparative mitochondrial genome analysis of Cynoglossidae (Teleost: Pleuronectiformes) and phylogenetic implications
Acta Oceanologica Sinica (2023)
-
Comparative genomic analysis of vertebrate mitochondrial reveals a differential of rearrangements rate between taxonomic class
Scientific Reports (2022)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.