title: Mitochondrial DNA of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: the structure of the ends of the linear 15.8-kb genome suggests mechanisms for DNA replication.
abstract: The mitochondrial genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a linear double-stranded DNA of 15.8 kb. With the exception of the termini its DNA sequence has been published. Here we describe the unique structure of the two termini determined from cloned fragments or, for the very terminal sequences, by the Maxam and Gilbert method after 5' labeling of uncloned terminal fragments. The 15.8-kb DNA is characterized by terminal inverted repeats of 531 or 532 bp in length including long 3' extensions. The 3' single-stranded extensions of the left and right ends are non-complementary, identical in sequence, and comprise 39 to 41 nucleotides. Remarkably, the linear genome possesses in addition an internal 86-bp repeat of the two outermost sequences. The unusual structure of the 15.8-kb DNA termini is compared with those of other linear mitochondrial DNAs. Possible mechanisms of 15.8-kb DNA replication are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Botanisches Institut der Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vahrenholz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riemen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pratje
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dujon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michaelis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004261:DNA Replication; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded