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Related Experiment Videos

An ancient group I intron shared by eubacteria and chloroplasts.

M G Kuhsel1, R Strickland, J D Palmer

  • 1Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 14, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Introns, genetic elements found in most organisms, were present in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts over a billion years ago. This suggests these genetic elements were inherited from a common ancestor, not recently acquired.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Introns are typically absent in eubacteria but present in organelles of eubacterial origin (chloroplasts, mitochondria).
  • This raises questions about intron origin: recent organelle acquisition or loss from bacterial ancestors.
  • The leucine transfer RNA with UAA anticodon [tRNALeu (UAA)] gene is a target for studying intron evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary history of introns in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts.
  • To determine if the intron in tRNALeu (UAA) predates the divergence of cyanobacteria and chloroplasts.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative sequence analysis of the tRNALeu (UAA) gene and its intron across diverse cyanobacteria and chloroplasts.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to infer the intron's evolutionary history.

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Main Results:

  • A conserved group I intron was identified in the tRNALeu (UAA) gene of five cyanobacteria species and various chloroplast groups.
  • The intron's position, primary sequence, and secondary structure are highly conserved.
  • Homology indicates the intron was present in the common ancestor of cyanobacteria and chloroplasts.

Conclusions:

  • The intron in tRNALeu (UAA) has been maintained for at least one billion years.
  • This finding supports the hypothesis that introns were present in early life forms and have been lost in some lineages, rather than being recently acquired by organelles.