Summary
This paper reports the mapping of both mature and precursor Paracentrotus lividus mitochondrial transcripts. Several mtRNAs were found to have 5′ and 3′ termini which differ from those inferred through DNA sequencing (Cantatore et al. 1989). The 3′ ends of the two rRNAs (12S and 16S) overlap with the downstream transcripts (tRNAGlu and CoI mRNA) by 5 and 10 nt respectively. The 132nt non-coding region is extensively transcribed: in particular it contains a 124nt RNA and the 5′ end of a possible precursor of 13 clustered tRNAs. This latter overlaps by 7nt with the 3′ end of the 124nt RNA. In addition to the mature RNAs, 32 high molecular weight RNAs, which are probably the precursors of the smaller more abundant mature species, were detected by Northern blotting. The mapping of these transcripts indicates that they are processed at the level of tRNA or tRNA-like sequences and suggests the existence of two transcription initiation sites upstream of the ND1 and the cytochrome b genes respectively. In the light of these results it appears that P. lividus mitochondrial DNA transcription takes place via multiple and probably overlapping transcription units. Moreover, the wide variation in the steady-state levels of the mature mRNAs indicates that sea urchin mitochondrial DNA expression is also regulated at the level of RNA decay.
Similar content being viewed by others
Refences
Attardi G (1985) Int Rev Cytol 93:93–145
Attardi G, Schatz G (1988) Annu Rev Cell Biol 4:289–333
Berthier F, Renaud M, Alziari S, Durand R (1986) Nucleic Acids Res 14:4519–4533
Breitenberger CA, Browning KS, Alzner De Weerd B, RajBahandary UL (1985) EMBO J 4:185–195
Cabrera CV, Jacobs HW, Posakony JW, Grula JW, Roberts JA, Britten RJ, Davidson EH (1983) Develop Biol 97:500–505
Cantatore P, Saccone C (1987) Int Rev Cytol 108:149–208
Cantatore P, Nicotra A, Loria P, Saccone C (1974) Cell Diff 3:45–53
Cantatore P, Gadaleta MN, Saccone C (1974) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 118:284–291
Cantatore P, Roberti M, Morisco P, Rainaldi G, Gadaleta MN, Saccone C (1987) Gene 53:41–54
Cantatore P, Loguercio Polosa P, Mustich A, Petruzzella V, Gadaleta MN (1988) Curr Genet 14:477–482
Cantatore P, Roberti M, Rainaldi G, Gadaleta MN, Saccone C (1989) J Biol Chem 264:10965–10975
Chang DD, Clayton DA (1984) Cell 36:635–643
Chang DD, Clayton DA (1985) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82:351–355
Dente L, Cesareni G, Cortese R (1983) Nucleic Acids Res 11:1645–1655
Devlin R (1976) Dev Biol 50:443–456
Doersen JC, Guerrier Takada C, Altman S, Attardi G (1985) J Biol Chem 259:5942–5949
Elliot DJ, Jacobs HT (1989) Mol Cell Biol 9:1069–1082
Gadaleta MN, Nicotra A, Del Prete MG, Saccone C (1977) Cell Diff 6:85–94
Gelfand R, Attardi G (1981) Mol Cell Biol 1:497–511
Jacobs HT, Elliot DJ, Math VB, Farquharson A (1988) J Mol Biol 202:185–217
Maniatis T, Fritsch EF, Sambrook J (1983) Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Cold Spring Harbor New York
Melton DA, Krieg PA, Rebagliati MR, Maniatis T, Zimmk K, Green MR (1984) Nucleic Acids Res 12:7035–7056
Montoya J, Gaines G, Attardi G (1983) Cell 34:157–159
Ojala D, Merkel C, Gelfand R, Attardi G (1980) Cell 22:393–403
Ruderman JV, Schmidt MR (1981) Dev Biol 81:220–228
Sbisà E, Nardelli M, Saccone C (1988) Gene 72:309–310
Wells DE, Bruskin AM, O'Brochta DA, Raff RA (1982) Dev Biol 92:557–562
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by R. J. Schweyen
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cantatore, P., Roberti, M., Polosa, P.L. et al. Mapping and characterization of Paracentrotus lividus mitochondrial transcripts: multiple and overlapping transcription units. Curr Genet 17, 235–245 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00312615
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00312615