Sporadic Distribution of tRNA sub(CCU) super(Arg) Introns among alpha -Purple Bacteria: Evidence for Horizontal Transmission and Transposition of a Group I Intron

A group I intron interrupts the tRNA sub(CCU) super(Arg) gene of the alpha -purple bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens (B. Reinhold-Hurek and D. A. Shub, Nature [London] 357:173-176 1992). In this study, we assess the distribution of the corresponding intron among 12 additional species of alpha -pur...

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Published in:Journal of bacteriology 1999-02, Vol.181 (3), p.1049-1053
Main Authors: Paquin, B, Heinfling, A, Shub, DA
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:A group I intron interrupts the tRNA sub(CCU) super(Arg) gene of the alpha -purple bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens (B. Reinhold-Hurek and D. A. Shub, Nature [London] 357:173-176 1992). In this study, we assess the distribution of the corresponding intron among 12 additional species of alpha -purple bacteria. Of 10 newly identified tRNA sub(CCU) super(Arg) genes, we found only two that contained an intron homologous to that of the Agrobacterium tRNA sub(CCU) super(Arg) intron. This restricted and scattered distribution of the tRNA sub(CCU) super(Arg) intron among alpha -purple bacteria is consistent with a recent origin and horizontal transmission. Primary and secondary structural similarities between tRNA sub(UAA) super(Leu) introns found in strains of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (K. Rudi and K. S. Jacobsen, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 156:293- 298, 1997) and alpha -purple tRNA sub(CCU) super(Arg) introns suggest that these introns share a more recent common ancestor than either does with other known cyanobacterial tRNA sub(UAA) super(Leu )introns.
ISSN:0021-9193