Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Insertions and duplications of mtDNA in the nuclear genomes of Old World monkeys and hominoids

Nature volume 378, pages 485–489 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

USING oligonucleotide primers designed to match conserved regions of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)1, we have amplified and sequenced two divergent cytochrome b nuclear pseudogenes from orangutan cellular DNA. Evolutionary analysis suggests that a nuclear transfer occurred about 30 million years ago on the lineage leading to the catarrhines (Old World monkeys and hominoids), and involved a long (at least 3 kilobases), probably damaged, piece of mtDNA. After this transfer, the pseudogene duplicated, giving rise to the two copies that are probably present in all hominoids, including humans. More recent transfers involving the entire cytochrome b gene have also occurred in the Old World monkeys. Such nuclear copies of mtDNA can confound phylo-genetic and population genetic studies2–4, and be an insidious source of DNA contamination of 'ancient'3,5 and forensic DNA. Indeed, contamination with these anciently transferred human pseudogenes5 is almost certainly the source of the cytochrome b sequences recently reported from 'dinosaur bone 'DNA'6.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kocher, T. D. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 6196–6200 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Smith, M. F., Thomas, W. K. & Patton, J. L. Molec. Biol. Evol. 9, 204–215 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. van der Kuyl, A. C., Kuiken, C. L., Dekker, J. T., Perizonius, W. R. K. & Goudsmit, J. J. molec. Evol. 40, 652–657 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Quinn, T. W. Molec. Ecol. 1, 105–117 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zischler, H. et al. Science 268, 1192–1193 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Woodward, S. R., Weyand, N. J. & Bunnell, M. Science 266, 1229–1232 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Mullis, K. B. et al. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. quant. Biol. 51, 263–273 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wrischnik, L. A. et al. Nuclelc Acids Res. 15, 529–542 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cohen, J. Science 268, 22–23 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ausubel, F. M. et al. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology (Wiley. New York, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Horai, S., Hayasaka, K., Kondo, R., Tsugane, K. & Takahata, N. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 532–536 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Li, W.-H., Ellsworth, D. L., Krushkal, J., Chang, B. H.-J. & Hewett-Emmett, D. Molec. phylogenet. Evol. (in the press).

  13. Saitou, N. & Ueda, S. Molec. Biol. Evol. 11, 504–512 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Brown, W. M., Prager, E. M., Wang, A. & Wilson, A. C. J. molec. Evol. 18, 225–239 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lopez, J. V., Yuhki, N., Masuda, R., Modi, W. & O'Brien, S. J. J. molec. Evol. 39, 174–190 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Zullo, S., Sieu, L. C., Slightom, J. L., Hadler, H. I. & Eisenstadt, J. M. J. molec. Biol. 221, 1223–1235 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Shay, J. W. & Werbin, H. Mutat. Res. 275, 227–235 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hu, G. & Thilly, W. G. Gene 147, 197–204 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Fukuda, M. et al. J. molec. Biol. 186, 257–266 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. van der Kuyl, A. C., Kuiken, C. L., Dekker, J. T. & Goudsmit, J. J. molec. Evol. 40, 173–180 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hedges, S. B. & Schweitzer, M. H. Science 268, 1191–1192 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Woodward, S. R. Science 268, 1194 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Handt, O., Höss, M., Krings, M. & Pääbo, S. Experientia 50, 524–529 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Anderson, S. et al. Nature 290 457–465 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Gustincich, S., Manfioletti, G., Del Sal, G., Schneider, C. & Carninci, P. BioTechniques 11, 298–302 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Felsenstein, J. PHYLIP {Phylogeny Inference Package) Version 3.5c (Department of Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle. 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Swofford, D. L. PAUP: Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony Version 3.1 (Illinois Natural History Survey. Champaign, IL, 1993).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Maddison, W. P. & Maddison, D. R. MacClade: Analysis of Phylogeny and Character Evolution Version 3.04 (Sinauer, Sunderland, MA, 1994).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  29. Gingerich, P. D. Molec. Biol. Evol. 3, 205–221 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Caro-Beth Stewart: To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, 12222, USA

    Randall V. Collura & Caro-Beth Stewart

Authors
  1. Randall V. Collura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Caro-Beth Stewart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Collura, R., Stewart, CB. Insertions and duplications of mtDNA in the nuclear genomes of Old World monkeys and hominoids. Nature 378, 485–489 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/378485a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/378485a0

This article is cited by

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.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing