title: Rearrangements of mitochondrial transfer RNA genes in marsupials.
abstract: The nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial origin of light-strand replication and the five tRNA genes surrounding it were determined for three marsupials. The region was found to be rearranged, leaving only the tRNA(Tyr) gene at the same position as in placental mammals and Xenopus. Distribution of the same rearranged genotype among two marsupial families indicates that the events causing the rearrangements took place in an early marsupial ancestor. The putative mitochondrial light-strand origin of replication in marsupials contains a hairpin structure similar to other vertebrate origins and; in addition, extensive flanking sequences that are not found in other vertebrates. Sequence comparisons among the marsupials as well as placentals indicate that the tRNA(Tyr) gene has been evolving under more constraints than the other tRNA genes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pääbo
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Whitfield
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kumazawa
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009893:Opossums / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics*; D012365:RNA, Transfer, Tyr / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012365:RNA, Transfer, Tyr; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D012343:RNA, Transfer