Genetics, Vol. 153, 1851-1862, December 1999, Copyright © 1999

Complete DNA Sequence of the Mitochondrial Genome of the Ascidian Halocynthia roretzi (Chordata, Urochordata)

Shin-ichi Yokoboria,b, Takuya Uedac, Gertraud Feldmaier-Fuchsb, Svante Pääbob, Rei Ueshimad, Akiko Kondowe, Kazuya Nishikawaf, and Kimitsuna Watanabee
a Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan,
b Institute of Zoology, University of Munich, Munich, D-80333 Germany,
c Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan,
d Division of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan,
e Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
f Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan

Corresponding author: Shin-ichi Yokobori, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan., yokobori{at}ls.toyaku.ac.jp (E-mail)

Communicating editor: N. TAKAHATA

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 tRNAMet gene with a TAT anticodon instead of the usual tRNAMetCAT 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 tRNAHis–tRNASerGCU, 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.




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