Planarian mitochondria II. The unique genetic code as deduced from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences (original) (raw)

Summary

The cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences from planarian (Dugesia japonica) DNA, most probably of mitochondrial origin, are heterogeneous. Taking advantage of the heterogeneity that occurs primarily in silent sites of the COI DNA sequences, amino acid assignments of several codons have been deduced as nonuniversal: UGA = Trp, AAA = Asp, and AGR (R: A or G) = Ser. In addition, UAA, a stop codon in the universal genetic code, is tentatively assumed to be a tyrosine codon, because three of the sequences examined have UAA at the well-conserved tyrosine site of UAY (Y: U or C) in other planarian sequences as well as in the mitochondria of human, Xenopus, sea urchin, Drosophila, Trypanosoma, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. AUA would most probably be an isoleucine codon in these mitochondria, whereas it is a methionine codon in the majority of nonplant mitochondria.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, School of Science, Nagoya University, 464-01, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
   Yoshitaka Bessho, Takeshi Ohama & Syozo Osawa

Authors

1. Yoshitaka Bessho
2. Takeshi Ohama
3. Syozo Osawa

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Offprint requests to: Y. Bessho

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Bessho, Y., Ohama, T. & Osawa, S. Planarian mitochondria II. The unique genetic code as deduced from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences.J Mol Evol 34, 331–335 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160240

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• Received: 27 March 1991
• Revised: 25 November 1991
• Issue date: April 1992
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160240

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