title: Large gene overlaps and tRNA processing in the compact mitochondrial genome of the crustacean Armadillidium vulgare.
abstract: A faithful expression of the mitochondrial DNA is crucial for cell survival. Animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) presents a highly compact gene organization. The typical 16.5 kbp animal mtDNA encodes 13 proteins, 2 rRNAs and 22 tRNAs. In the backyard pillbug Armadillidium vulgare, the rather small 13.9 kbp mtDNA encodes the same set of proteins and rRNAs as compared to animal kingdom mtDNA, but seems to harbor an incomplete set of tRNA genes. Here, we first confirm the expression of 13 tRNA genes in this mtDNA. Then we show the extensive repair of a truncated tRNA, the expression of tRNA involved in large gene overlaps and of tRNA genes partially or fully integrated within protein-coding genes in either direct or opposite orientation. Under selective pressure, overlaps between genes have been likely favored for strong genome size reduction. Our study underlines the existence of unknown biochemical mechanisms for the complete gene expression of A. vulgare mtDNA, and of co-evolutionary processes to keep overlapping genes functional in a compacted mitochondrial genome.
authors.affiliation: a Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose; Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions , UMR CNRS 7267, Poitiers , France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Doublet
authors.affiliation: b Institut de biologie moléculaire des plantes; associated with the University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ubrig
authors.affiliation: b Institut de biologie moléculaire des plantes; associated with the University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.
authors.forename: Abdelmalek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alioua
authors.affiliation: a Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose; Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions , UMR CNRS 7267, Poitiers , France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouchon
authors.affiliation: a Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose; Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions , UMR CNRS 7267, Poitiers , France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marcadé
authors.affiliation: b Institut de biologie moléculaire des plantes; associated with the University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maréchal-Drouard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003445:Crustacea / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012343:RNA, Transfer
keywords: RNA; coevolution; isopod; mtDNA; overlapping gene; tRNA repair; transcription