In:
PLOS Genetics, Public Library of Science (PLoS), Vol. 19, No. 10 ( 2023-10-5), p. e1010913-
Abstract:
The genetic code is one of the most highly conserved features across life. Only a few lineages have deviated from the “universal” genetic code. Amongst the few variants of the genetic code reported to date, the codons UAA and UAG virtually always have the same translation, suggesting that their evolution is coupled. Here, we report the genome and transcriptome sequencing of a novel uncultured ciliate, belonging to the Oligohymenophorea class, where the translation of the UAA and UAG stop codons have changed to specify different amino acids. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that UAA has been reassigned to encode lysine, while UAG has been reassigned to encode glutamic acid. We identified multiple suppressor tRNA genes with anticodons complementary to the reassigned codons. We show that the retained UGA stop codon is enriched in the 3’UTR immediately downstream of the coding region of genes, suggesting that there is functional drive to maintain tandem stop codons. Using a phylogenomics approach, we reconstructed the ciliate phylogeny and mapped genetic code changes, highlighting the remarkable number of independent genetic code changes within the Ciliophora group of protists. According to our knowledge, this is the first report of a genetic code variant where UAA and UAG encode different amino acids.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1553-7404
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.g001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.g002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.g003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.g004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.g005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.t001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s007
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s008
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s009
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.s010
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.r001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.r002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.r003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.r004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pgen.1010913.r005
Language:
English
Publisher:
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2186725-2
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