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Codon recognition mechanisms in plant chloroplasts

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Abstract

In chloroplasts, all 61 sense codons are found in chloroplast (cp) DNA sequences coding for proteins. However among the sequenced cp tRNAs or tRNA genes, tRNAs with anticodons complementary to codons CUU/C (Leu), CCU/C (Pro), GCU/C (Ala) and CGC/A/G (Arg) [or CGC/A (Arg) in Marchantia] have not been found. In this paper we show that cp tRNAAla(U*GC), cp tRNAPro(U*GG) and cp tRNAArg(ICG) are able to decode the corresponding four-codon family. In the case of leucine codons CUU/C, we show that ‘U:U and U:C wobble’ mechanisms can operate to allow the reading of these codons by cp tRNALeu (UAm7G).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Université Louis Pasteur, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, 67084, Strasbourg, France

    H. Pfitzinger & J. H. Weil

  2. Department of Biology, University of Windsor, N9B 3P4, Ontario, Canada

    D. T. N. Pillay

  3. Institut Universitaire de Technologie Louis Pasteur, 3 rue de l'Argonne, 67000, Strasbourg, France

    P. Guillemaut

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  1. H. Pfitzinger
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  2. J. H. Weil
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  3. D. T. N. Pillay
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  4. P. Guillemaut
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Pfitzinger, H., Weil, J.H., Pillay, D.T.N. et al. Codon recognition mechanisms in plant chloroplasts. Plant Mol Biol 14, 805–814 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016513

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016513

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