Mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I and II genes, the ATPase9 gene, the NADH dehydrogenase ND4L and ND5 gene complex, and the glutaminyl, methionyl and arginyl tRNA genes from Trichophyton rubrum

Summary

In this paper, we present the nucleotide sequence of a 5248 bp-long region of the mitochondrial (mt) genome of the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum. This region which represents about 1/4 of the total mt genome of this species reveals a compact organization of genes including: the glutaminyl tRNA, the methionyl tRNA, the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene, the arginyl tRNA, the mitochondrial version of the ATPase subunit 9 gene, the cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene and a part of the NADH dehydrogenase ND4L and ND5 gene “complex”. The main features of the part of mt DNA sequenced is the non-interrupted COXI gene and the presence in the mitochondrial version of the ATPase 9 gene of a small group IA intron. The extensive amino-acid sequence similarity with the equivalent gene in Aspergillus nidulans and neuropora crassa indicates that this gene codes for a dicyclohexylcarbodiimide binding protein. The conserved arrangement of this portion of the mt genome and the presence of tRNAs between the protein-coding genes are compatible with a large polycistronic transcript processed by the excision of tRNAs, or similar secondary structures, as proposed for other fungal or mammalian mt DNAS.