RNA editing in hornwort chloroplasts makes more than half the genes functional.
RNA editing in chloroplasts alters the RNA sequence by converting C-to-U or U-to-C at a specific site. During the study of the complete nucleotide sequence of the chloroplast genome from the hornwort Anthoceros formosae, RNA editing events have been systematically investigated. A total of 509 C-to-U and 433 U-to-C conversions are identified in the transcripts of 68 genes and eight ORFs. No RNA editing is seen in any of the rRNA but one tRNA suffered a C-to-U conversion at an anticodon. All nonsense codons in 52 protein-coding genes and seven ORFs are removed in the transcripts by U-to-C conversions, and five initiation and three termination codons are created by C-to-U conversions. RNA editing in intron sequence suggests that editing can precede intercistronic processing. The sequence complementary to the edited site is proposed as a distant cis-recognition element.
Kugita
Masanori
M
Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Shizuoka University, Oya 836, 422-8529 Shizuoka, Japan.
Yamamoto
Yuhei
Y
Fujikawa
Takeshi
T
Matsumoto
Tohoru
T
Yoshinaga
Koichi
K
D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000235:genetics; D017393:RNA Editing; D018747:RNA, Chloroplast / Q000235:genetics*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D003062:Codon; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018747:RNA, Chloroplast; D018749:RNA, Plant; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases