Abstract
The mitochondrial genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae codes for 24 tRNAs. The nucleotide sequences of the tRNA genes suggest a unique set of rules that govern the decoding of the mitochondrial genetic code. The four codons of unmixed fmilies are recognized by single tRNAs that always have a U in the wobble position of the anticodon. The codons of the mixed families are read by two different tRNAs. Codons terminating in a C or U are recognized by tRNAs with a G and codons terminating in a G or A are recognized by tRNAs with a U in the corresponding positions of the anticodons. There are two exceptions to these rules. In the AUN family for isoleucine and methionine, the isoleucine tRNA has a G and the methionine tRNA has a C in the wobble position. The tRNA for the arginine CGN family also has an A in the wobble position of the anticodon. It is of interest that the CGN codons have not been found in the mitochondrial genes sequenced to date. The simplified decoding system of yeast mitochondria allows all the codons to be recognized by only 24 tRNAs.
Full text
PDF![3167](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/4faa/349575/9446d1c4da87/pnas00493-0109.png)
![3168](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/4faa/349575/42a4478dc2fa/pnas00493-0110.png)
![3169](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/4faa/349575/427f2d499090/pnas00493-0111.png)
![3170](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/4faa/349575/67d6a3bde658/pnas00493-0112.png)
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Barrell B. G., Anderson S., Bankier A. T., de Bruijn M. H., Chen E., Coulson A. R., Drouin J., Eperon I. C., Nierlich D. P., Roe B. A. Different pattern of codon recognition by mammalian mitochondrial tRNAs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jun;77(6):3164–3166. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.6.3164. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Barrell B. G., Bankier A. T., Drouin J. A different genetic code in human mitochondria. Nature. 1979 Nov 8;282(5735):189–194. doi: 10.1038/282189a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Borst P., Grivell L. A. The mitochondrial genome of yeast. Cell. 1978 Nov;15(3):705–723. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90257-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bos J. L., Osinga K. A., Van der Horst G., Borst P. Nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial structural genes for cysteine-tRNA and histidine-tRNA of yeast. Nucleic Acids Res. 1979 Jul 25;6(10):3255–3266. doi: 10.1093/nar/6.10.3255. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Casey J., Cohen M., Rabinowitz M., Fukuhara H., Getz G. S. Hybridization of mitochondrial transfer RNA's with mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of grande (wild type) yeast. J Mol Biol. 1972 Feb 14;63(3):431–440. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(72)90438-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Coruzzi G., Tzagoloff A. Assembly of the mitochondrial membrane system. DNA sequence of subunit 2 of yeast cytochrome oxidase. J Biol Chem. 1979 Sep 25;254(18):9324–9330. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Crick F. H. Codon--anticodon pairing: the wobble hypothesis. J Mol Biol. 1966 Aug;19(2):548–555. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(66)80022-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Grosjean H. J., de Henau S., Crothers D. M. On the physical basis for ambiguity in genetic coding interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Feb;75(2):610–614. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.2.610. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Heckman J. E., Hecker L. I., Schwartzbach S. D., Barnett W. E., Baumstark B., RajBhandary U. L. Structure and function of initiator methionine tRNA from the mitochondria of Neurospora crassa. Cell. 1978 Jan;13(1):83–95. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90140-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Heckman J. E., Sarnoff J., Alzner-DeWeerd B., Yin S., RajBhandary U. L. Novel features in the genetic code and codon reading patterns in Neurospora crassa mitochondria based on sequences of six mitochondrial tRNAs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jun;77(6):3159–3163. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.6.3159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hensgens L. A., Grivell L. A., Borst P., Bos J. L. Nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial structural gene for subunit 9 of yeast ATPase complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Apr;76(4):1663–1667. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.4.1663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lagerkvist U. "Two out of three": an alternative method for codon reading. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Apr;75(4):1759–1762. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.4.1759. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Li M., Tzagoloff A. Assembly of the mitochondrial membrane system: sequences of yeast mitochondrial valine and an unusual threonine tRNA gene. Cell. 1979 Sep;18(1):47–53. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90352-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Macino G., Coruzzi G., Nobrega F. G., Li M., Tzagoloff A. Use of the UGA terminator as a tryptophan codon in yeast mitochondria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Aug;76(8):3784–3785. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.8.3784. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Macino G., Tzagoloff A. Assembly of the mitochondrial membrane system. The DNA sequence of a mitochondrial ATPase gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Biol Chem. 1979 Jun 10;254(11):4617–4623. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Martin N. C., Rabinowitz M., Fukuhara H. Yeast mitochondrial DNA specifies tRNA for 19 amino acids. Deletion mapping of the tRNA genes. Biochemistry. 1977 Oct 18;16(21):4672–4677. doi: 10.1021/bi00640a022. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Miller D. L., Martin N. C., Pham H. D., Donelson J. E. Sequence analysis of two yeast mitochondrial DNA fragments containing the genes for tRNA Ser UCR and tRNA Phe UUY. J Biol Chem. 1979 Nov 25;254(22):11735–11740. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tzagoloff A., Macino G., Sebald W. Mitochondrial genes and translation products. Annu Rev Biochem. 1979;48:419–441. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.48.070179.002223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Van Ommen G. J., Groot G. S., Borst P. Fine structure physical mapping of 4S RNA genes on mitochondrial DNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Gen Genet. 1977 Sep 9;154(3):255–262. doi: 10.1007/BF00571280. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wesolowski M., Fukuhara H. The genetic map of transfer RNA genes of yeast mitochondria: correction and extension. Mol Gen Genet. 1979 Mar 5;170(3):261–275. doi: 10.1007/BF00267059. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]