Selenocysteyl-tRNAs recognize UGA in Beta vulgaris, a higher plant, and in Gliocladium virens, a filamentous fungus.
Selenocysteyl-tRNAs that decode UGA were previously identified in representatives of three of the five life kingdoms which were the monera, animal and protist kingdoms. In the present study, we show that these tRNAs also occur in representatives of the two remaining kingdoms, plants and fungi; i.e., selenocysteyl-tRNAs which code for UGA occur in Beta vulgaris, a higher plant, and in Gliocladium virens, a filamentous fungus. The fact that selenocysteyl-tRNAs are present in all five life kingdoms strongly suggests that UGA, in addition to dictating the cessation of protein synthesis, also codes for selenocysteine in the universal genetic code.
Hatfield
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Laboratory of Experimental Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Choi
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Mischke
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Owens
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LD
D001483:Base Sequence; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics*; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000235:genetics*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism; D012644:Selenium Radioisotopes
D003062:Codon; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific; D012644:Selenium Radioisotopes; C036928:tRNA, selenocysteine-; D012643:Selenium