Fig 4. The rpl16-209 editing site is located in a highly conserved environment.

(A) Comparison of nucleotide identities in the cis-recognition sequence around the rpl16-209 editing site with the homologous editing sites in other plant species reveals the high degree of conservation. This is presumably imposed by the functional constraints on the conservation of the amino acids surrounding the rpl16-209 editing site. Some of the plants compared here encode a genomic T at this position to maintain the amino acid identity. (B) The absence of RNA editing event rpl16-209 results in Arabidopsis in the incorporation of the genomically encoded threonine rather than the isoleucine specified by the edited codon number 70. The amino acid isoleucine is conserved in even distant plant species. Nucleotides and amino acids derived by RNA editing are given in bold letters and are underlined. Nucleotides and amino acids differing from the consensus are shown in inverse shading.