title: The watermelon mitochondrial URF-1 gene: evidence for a complex structure.
abstract: We have cloned and sequenced a fragment of watermelon mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which contains a gene homologous to mitochondrial URF-1 (Unidentified Reading Frame-1) of vertebrates, Drosophila yakuba and Aspergillus nidulans. URF-1 is thought to encode a component of the respiratory chain NADH dehydrogenase. Two coding regions in the watermelon gene are separated by approximately 1,450 bp of untranslatable DNA. These two exons encode the central portions of URF-1, and are highly conserved. We postulate that three additional exons, selected by their map location and amino acid homology to other URF-1 sequences, encode the remainder of the polypeptide. This is the first description of a plant mitochondrial gene with multiple introns.
authors.affiliation: Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Plant Biology, Stanford, CA 94305.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons; D005796:Genes; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D010940:Plant Proteins