Wolff G, Burger G, Lang B F, Kück U
Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
Nucleic Acids Res. 1993 Feb 11;21(3):719-26. doi: 10.1093/nar/21.3.719.
The mitochondrial DNA from the colourless alga Prototheca wickerhamii contains two mosaic genes as was revealed from complete sequencing of the circular extranuclear genome. The genes for the large subunit of the ribosomal RNA (LSUrRNA) as well as for subunit I of the cytochrome oxidase (coxI) carry two and three intronic sequences respectively. On the basis of their canonical nucleotide sequences they can be classified as group I introns. Phylogenetic comparisons of the coxI protein sequences allow us to conclude that the P.wickerhamii mtDNA is much closer related to higher plant mtDNAs than to those of the chlorophyte alga C.reinhardtii. The comparison of the intron sequences revealed several unusual features: (1) The P.wickerhamii introns are structurally related to mitochondrial introns from various ascomycetous fungi. (2) Phylogenetic analyses indicate a close relationship between fungal and algal intronic sequences. (3) The P. wickerhamii introns are located at positions within the structural genes which can be considered as preferred intron insertion sites in homologous mitochondrial genes from fungi or liverwort. In all cases, the sequences adjacent to the insertion sites are very well conserved over large evolutionary distances. Our finding of highly similar introns in fungi and algae is consistent with the idea that introns have already been present in the bacterial ancestors of present day mitochondria and evolved concomitantly with the organelles.
对无色藻类威克汉姆原囊藻的线粒体DNA进行环状核外基因组全序列测序后发现,其包含两个镶嵌基因。核糖体RNA大亚基(LSUrRNA)基因以及细胞色素氧化酶亚基I(coxI)基因分别携带两个和三个内含子序列。根据其典型核苷酸序列,它们可被归类为I组内含子。对coxI蛋白序列进行系统发育比较后,我们得出结论,威克汉姆原囊藻的线粒体DNA与高等植物的线粒体DNA的亲缘关系比与绿藻莱茵衣藻的线粒体DNA的亲缘关系更近。对内含子序列的比较揭示了几个不寻常的特征:(1)威克汉姆原囊藻的内含子在结构上与各种子囊菌的线粒体内含子相关。(2)系统发育分析表明真菌和藻类内含子序列之间存在密切关系。(3)威克汉姆原囊藻的内含子位于结构基因内的位置,这些位置可被视为真菌或地钱同源线粒体基因中优选的内含子插入位点。在所有情况下,插入位点附近的序列在很长的进化距离上都非常保守。我们在真菌和藻类中发现高度相似的内含子,这与内含子已存在于当今线粒体的细菌祖先中并与细胞器共同进化的观点一致。