Multiple independent genetic code reassignments of the UAG stop codon in phyllopharyngean ciliates.

ABSTRACT: The translation of nucleotide sequences into amino acid sequences, governed by the genetic code, is one of the most conserved features of molecular biology. The standard genetic code, which uses 61 sense codons to encode one of the 20 standard amino acids and 3 stop codons (UAA, UAG, and UGA) to terminate translation, is used by most extant organisms. The protistan phylum Ciliophora (the 'ciliates') are the most prominent exception to this norm, exhibiting the grfeatest diversity of nuclear genetic code variants and evidence of repeated changes in the code. In this study, we report the discovery of multiple independent genetic code changes within the Phyllopharyngea class of ciliates. By mining publicly available ciliate genome datasets, we discovered that three ciliate species from the TA

SUBMITTER: McGowan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11687900 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature