Ascidian Mitochondrial tRNA^Met Possessing Unique Structural Characteristics*

This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Prof. Tsujiaki Hata of the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Abstract

Methionine tRNA was purified from muscle mitochondria of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi and its RNA sequence was determined. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence revealed that unlike most metazoan mitochondrial tRNAs^Met, which have a highly conserved cytidine (C) or C-derivative at the wobble position, the H. roretzi mitochondrial tRNA^Met possesses 5-carboxymethylaminomethyluridine (cmnm⁵U) at the first position of the anticodon. This is the first report of a single mitochondrial tRNA^Met species having uridine (U) or a U-derivative at the wobble position.

This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Prof. Tsujiaki Hata of the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Notes

This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Prof. Tsujiaki Hata of the Tokyo Institute of Technology.