Comparative whole genome sequencing reveals phenotypic tRNA gene duplication in spontaneous Schizosaccharomyces pombe La mutants

We used a genetic screen based on tRNA-mediated suppression (TMS) in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe La protein (Sla1p) mutant. Suppressor pre-tRNA(Ser)UCA-C47:6U with a debilitating substitution in its variable arm fails to produce tRNA in a sla1-rrm mutant deficient for RNA chaperone-like activity. The parent strain and spontaneous mutant were analyzed using Solexa sequencing. One synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), unrelated to the phenotype, was identified. Further sequence analyses found a duplication of the tRNA(Ser)UCA-C47:6U gene, which was shown to cause the phenotype. Ninety percent of 28 isolated mutants contain duplicated tRNA(Ser)UCA-C47:6U genes. The tRNA gene duplication led to a disproportionately large increase in tRNA(Ser)UCA-C47:6U levels in sla1-rrm but not sla1-null cells, consistent with non-specific low-affinity interactions contributing to the RNA chaperone-like activity of La, similar to other RNA chaperones. Our analysis also identified 24 SNPs between ours and S. pombe 972h- strain yFS101 that was recently sequenced using Solexa. By including mitochondrial (mt) DNA in our analysis, overall coverage increased from 52% to 96%. mtDNA from our strain and yFS101 shared 14 mtSNPs relative to a 'reference' mtDNA, providing the first identification of these S. pombe mtDNA discrepancies. Thus, strain-specific and spontaneous phenotypic mutations can be mapped in S. pombe by Solexa sequencing.     

The nucleotide sequence of the large ribosomal RNA gene and the adjacent tRNA genes from rat mitochondria.

We have sequenced the Eco R(1) fragment D from rat mitochondrial DNA. It contains one third of the tRNA (Val) gene (the remaining part has been sequenced from the 3' end of the Eco R(1) fragment A) the complete gene for the large mt 16S rRNA, the tRNA (Leu) gene and the 5' end of an unidentified reading frame. The mt gene for the large rRNA from rat has been aligned with the homologous genes from mouse and human using graphic computer programs. Hypervariable regions at the center of the molecule and highly conserved regions toward the 3' end have been detected. The mt gene for tRNA Leu is of the conventional type and its primary structure is highly conserved among mammals. The mt gene for tRNA(Val) shows characteristics similar to those of other mt tRNA genes but the degree of homology is lower. Comparative studies confirm that AGA and AGG are read as stop codons in mammalian mitochondria.     

Localization and organization of tRNA genes on the mitochondrial genomes of fertile and male sterile lines of maize

Summary Maize mitochondrial (mt) tRNA genes were localized on the mt master circles of two fertile lines (WF9-N and B37-N) and of one cytoplasmic male sterile line (B37-cmsT) of maize. The three genomes contain 16 tRNA genes with 14 different anticodons which correspond to 13 amino acids. Out of these 16 tRNA genes, 6 show a high degree of homology with the corresponding chloroplast (cp) tRNA genes and were shown to originate from cp DNA insertions and to be expressed in the mitochondria. The organization of the mt tRNA genes in both fertile lines is similar. The same genes are found, in the same environment, as judged from the restriction maps, in fertile and male sterile lines that have the same nuclear background, but the relative organization of the mt tRNA genes on the master circle is completely different.     

The nucleotide sequences of several tRNA genes from rat mitochondria: common features and relatedness to homologous species.

We have determined the nucleotide sequences of thirteen rat mt tRNA genes. The features of the primary and secondary structures of these tRNAs show that those for Gln, Ser, and f-Met resemble, while those for Lys, Cys, and Trp depart strikingly from the universal type. The remainder are slightly abnormal. Among many mammalian mt DNA sequences, those of mt tRNA genes are highly conserved, thus suggesting for those genes an additional, perhaps regulatory, function. A simple evolutionary relationship between the tRNAs of animal mitochondria and those of eukaryotic cytoplasm, of lower eukaryotic mitochondria or of prokaryotes, is not evident owing to the extreme divergence of the tRNA sequences in the two groups. However, a slightly higher homology does exist between a few animal mt tRNAs and those from prokaryotes or from lower eukaryotic mitochondria.     

The MELAS mutation m.3243A>G alters the expression of mitochondrial tRNA fragments

Recent evidences highlight the importance of mitochondria-nucleus communication for the clinical phenotype of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) diseases. However, the participation of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) in this communication has been poorly explored. We asked whether OXPHOS dysfunction alters the production of a new class of sncRNAs, mitochondrial tRNA fragments (mt tRFs), and, if so, whether mt tRFs play a physiological role and their accumulation is controlled by the action of mt tRNA modification enzymes. To address these questions, we used a cybrid model of MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes), an OXPHOS disease mostly caused by mutation m.3243A>G in the mitochondrial tRNA^Leu(UUR) gene. High-throughput analysis of small-RNA-Seq data indicated that m.3243A>G significantly changed the expression pattern of mt tRFs. A functional analysis of potential mt tRFs targets (performed under the assumption that these tRFs act as miRNAs) indicated an association with processes that involve the most common affected tissues in MELAS. We present evidences that mt tRFs may be biologically relevant, as one of them (mt i-tRF GluUUC), likely produced by the action of the nuclease Dicer and whose levels are Ago2 dependent, down-regulates the expression of mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1), promoting the build-up of extracellular lactate. Therefore, our study underpins the idea that retrograde signaling from mitochondria is also mediated by mt tRFs. Finally, we show that accumulation of mt i-tRF GluUUC depends on the modification status of mt tRNAs, which is regulated by the action of stress-responsive miRNAs on mt tRNA modification enzymes.     

The complete mitochondrial genomes of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma spindale and the evolutionary history of mitochondrial genome changes among parasitic flatworms

Complete mitochondrial genome sequences for the schistosomes Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma. spindale have been characterized. S. haematobium is the causative agent of urinary schistosomiasis in humans and S. spindale uses ruminants as its definitive host; both are transmitted by freshwater snail intermediate hosts. Results confirm a major gene order rearrangement among schistosomes in all traditional Schistosoma species groups other than Schistosoma japonicum; i.e., species groups S. mansoni, S. haematobium, and S. indicum. These data lend support to the 'out of Asia' (East and Southeast Asia) hypothesis for Schistosoma. The gene order change involves translocation of atp6-nad2-trnA and a rearrangement of nad3-nad1 relative to other parasitic flatworm mt genomes so far sequenced. Gene order and tRNA secondary structure changes (loss and acquisition of the DHU and/or TPsiC arms of trnC, trnF, and trnR) between mitochondrial genomes of these and other (digenean and cestode) flatworms were inferred by character mapping onto a phylogeny estimated from nuclear small subunit rRNA gene sequences of these same species, in order to find additional rare genomic changes suitable as synapomorphies. Denser and wider taxon sampling of mt genomes across the Platyhelminthes will validate these putative characters.     

The genetic localization of presumptive mitochondrial messenger RNAs on rat-liver mitochondrial DNA.

High molecular weight mitochondrial (mt) RNAs were isolated from rat liver mitochondria and hybridized in the presence of excess competitor mt rRNA and/or mt tRNA to restriction fragments of mtDNA. The data reveals that there are a few areas of the mt-genome on which the complementary of these presumptive messenger RNAs is most pronounced. These areas are away from the parts of the genome which are coding for the mt rRNA or containing the D-loop.     

Reconstitution of mammalian mitochondrial translation system capable of correct initiation and long polypeptide synthesis from leaderless mRNA

Mammalian mitochondria have their own dedicated protein synthesis system, which produces 13 essential subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation complexes. We have reconstituted an in vitro translation system from mammalian mitochondria, utilizing purified recombinant mitochondrial translation factors, 55S ribosomes from pig liver mitochondria, and a tRNA mixture from either Escherichia coli or yeast. The system is capable of translating leaderless mRNAs encoding model proteins (DHFR and nanoLuciferase) or some mtDNA-encoded proteins. We show that a leaderless mRNA, encoding nanoLuciferase, is faithfully initiated without the need for any auxiliary factors other than IF-2mt and IF-3mt. We found that the ribosome-dependent GTPase activities of both the translocase EF-G1mt and the recycling factor EF-G2mt are insensitive to fusidic acid (FA), the translation inhibitor that targets bacterial EF-G homologs, and consequently the system is resistant to FA. Moreover, we demonstrate that a polyproline sequence in the protein causes 55S mitochondrial ribosome stalling, yielding ribosome nascent chain complexes. Analyses of the effects of the Mg concentration on the polyproline-mediated ribosome stalling suggested the unique regulation of peptide elongation by the mitoribosome. This system will be useful for analyzing the mechanism of translation initiation, and the interactions between the nascent peptide chain and the mitochondrial ribosome.     

Rates of gene rearrangement and nucleotide substitution are correlated in the mitochondrial genomes of insects

A number of studies indicated that lineages of animals with high rates of mitochondrial (mt) gene rearrangement might have high rates of mt nucleotide substitution. We chose the hemipteroid assemblage and the Insecta to test the idea that rates of mt gene rearrangement and mt nucleotide substitution are correlated. For this purpose, we sequenced the mt genome of a lepidopsocid from the Psocoptera, the only order of hemipteroid insects for which an entire mtDNA sequence is not available. The mt genome of this lepidopsocid is circular, 16,924 bp long, and contains 37 genes and a putative control region; seven tRNA genes and a protein-coding gene in this genome have changed positions relative to the ancestral arrangement of mt genes of insects. We then compared the relative rates of nucleotide substitution among species from each of the four orders of hemipteroid insects and among the 20 insects whose mt genomes have been sequenced entirely. All comparisons among the hemipteroid insects showed that species with higher rates of gene rearrangement also had significantly higher rates of nucleotide substitution statistically than did species with lower rates of gene rearrangement. In comparisons among the 20 insects, where the mt genomes of the two species differed by more than five breakpoints, the more rearranged species always had a significantly higher rate of nucleotide substitution than the less rearranged species. However, in comparisons where the mt genomes of two species differed by five or less breakpoints, the more rearranged species did not always have a significantly higher rate of nucleotide substitution than the less rearranged species. We tested the statistical significance of the correlation between the rates of mt gene rearrangement and mt nucleotide substitution with nine pairs of insects that were phylogenetically independent from one another. We found that the correlation was positive and statistically significant (R2 = 0.73, P = 0.01; Rs = 0.67, P < 0.05). We propose that increased rates of nucleotide substitution may lead to increased rates of gene rearrangement in the mt genomes of insects.     

Complete DNA sequence of the mitochondrial genome of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi (Chordata, Urochordata)

The complete nucleotide sequence of the 14,771-bp-long mitochondrial (mt) DNA of a urochordate (Chordata)-the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi-was determined. All the Halocynthia mt-genes were found to be located on a single strand, which is rich in T and G rather than in A and C. Like nematode and Mytilus edulis mtDNAs, that of Halocynthia encodes no ATP synthetase subunit 8 gene. However, it does encode an additional tRNA gene for glycine (anticodon TCT) that enables Halocynthia mitochondria to use AGA and AGG codons for glycine. The mtDNA carries an unusual tRNA(Met) gene with a TAT anticodon instead of the usual tRNA(Met)(CAT) gene. As in other metazoan mtDNAs, there is not any long noncoding region. The gene order of Halocynthia mtDNA is completely different from that of vertebrate mtDNAs except for tRNA(His)-tRNA(Ser)(GCU), suggesting that evolutionary change in the mt-gene structure is much accelerated in the urochordate line compared with that in vertebrates. The amino acid sequences of Halocynthia mt-proteins deduced from their gene sequences are quite different from those in other metazoans, indicating that the substitution rate in Halocynthia mt-protein genes is also accelerated.     

Gene recruitment--a common mechanism in the evolution of transfer RNA gene families

The evolution of alloacceptor transfer RNAs (tRNAs) has been traditionally thought to occur vertically and reflect the evolution of the genetic code. Yet there have been several indications that a tRNA gene could evolve horizontally, from a copy of an alloacceptor tRNA gene in the same genome. Earlier, we provided the first unambiguous evidence for the occurrence of such "tRNA gene recruitment" in nature--in the mitochondrial (mt) genome of the demosponge Axinella corrugata. Yet the extent and the pattern of this process in the evolution of tRNA gene families remained unclear. Here we analyzed tRNA genes from 21 mt genomes of demosponges as well as nuclear genomes of rhesus macaque, chimpanzee and human. We found four new cases of alloacceptor tRNA gene recruitment in mt genomes and eleven cases in the nuclear genomes. In most of these cases we observed a single nucleotide substitution at the middle position of the anticodon, which resulted in the change of not only the tRNA's amino-acid identity but also the class of the amino-acyl tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) involved in amino-acylation. We hypothesize that the switch to a different class of aaRSs may have prevented the conflict between anticodon and amino-acid identities of recruited tRNAs. Overall our results suggest that gene recruitment is a common phenomenon in tRNA multigene family evolution and should be taken into consideration when tRNA evolutionary history is reconstructed.     

Complete nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial genomes of two solitary entoprocts, Loxocorone allax and Loxosomella aloxiata: implications for lophotrochozoan phylogeny

The complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial (mt) genomes of the entoprocts Loxocorone allax and Loxosomella aloxiata were determined. Both species carry the typical gene set of metazoan mt genomes and have similar organizations of their mt genes. However, they show differences in the positions of two tRNA(Leu) genes. Additionally, the tRNA(Val) gene, and half of the long non-coding region, is duplicated and inverted in the Loxos. aloxiata mt genome. The initiation codon of the Loxos. aloxiata cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene is expected to be ACG rather than AUG. The mt gene organizations in these two entoproct species most closely resemble those of mollusks such as Katharina tunicata and Octopus vulgaris, which have the most evolutionarily conserved mt gene organization reported to date in mollusks. Analyses of the mt gene organization in the lophotrochozoan phyla (Annelida, Brachiopoda, Echiura, Entoprocta, Mollusca, Nemertea, and Phoronida) suggested a close phylogenetic relationship between Brachiopoda, Annelida, and Echiura. However, Phoronida was excluded from this grouping. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the sequences of mt protein-coding genes suggested a possible close relationship between Entoprocta and Phoronida, and a close relationship among Brachiopoda, Annelida, and Echiura.