Mapping at the nucleotide level of Xenopus laevis mitochondrial D-loop H strand: structural features of the 3' region

The D-loop resulting from limited synthesis of the newly replicated heavy (H) strand of mitochondrial DNA provides a good opportunity to examine both the origin and termination of DNA synthesis. We report here the precise determination of the 3' and 5' termini of nascent Xenopus laevis D-loop H strand. We observe two major classes of newly synthesized D-loop H strands, 1641 and 1675 nucleotides long. A stable putative secondary structure located around its 3' end is described. Analogous secondary structures are also found in the same region of the mammalian D-loop mitochondrial DNAs. Moreover a pentanucleotide (5' TACAT 3'), base-paired in these secondary structures and most often present in two copies, is conserved in all vertebrate species so far studied. The termination associated sequence previously described in mammals is part of the putative stop signal represented by the secondary structure except in man. These results show that the mechanism of arrest of H strand synthesis is common to vertebrates.