Molecular Evolution Activities
 

This is a comprehensive bibliography (under construction) of primary and secondary sources on the neutral theory of molecular evolution. It currently covers the period 1973-2001.

Author :

Castresana, J.;Feldmaier-Fuchs, G.;Paabo, S.

Year :

1998

Title :

Codon reassignment and amino acid composition in hemichordate mitochondria

Journal :

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume :

95

Issue :

7

Pages :

3703-3707

Date :

Mar 31

Short Title :

Codon reassignment and amino acid composition in hemichordate mitochondria

Alternate Journal :

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.

Custom 2 :

ISI:000072848500070

Abstract :

In the mitochondrial genome of the hemichordate Balanoglossus carnosus, the codon AAA, which is assigned to lysine in most metazoans but to asparagine in echinoderms, is absent, Furthermore, the lysine tRNA gene carries an anticodon substitution that renders its gene product unable to decode AAA codons, whereas the asparagine tRNA gene has not changed to encode a tRNA with the ability to recognize AAA codons, Thus, the hemichordate mitochondrial genome can be regarded as an intermediate in the process of reassignment of mitochondrial AAA codons, where most metazoans represent the ancestral situation and the echinoderms the derived situation, This lends support to the codon capture hypothesis, We also show that the reassignment of the AAA codon is associated with a reduction in the relative abundance of lysine residues in mitochondrial proteins.

Notes :

Times Cited: 16 ZE957 PROC NAT ACAD SCI USA
 -- contributed by John Beatty, March 29, 2002