Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of three Tetrahymena species reveals mutation hot spots and accelerated nonsynonymous substitutions in Ymf genes.

ABSTRACT: The ciliate Tetrahymena, a model organism, contains divergent mitochondrial (Mt) genome with unusual properties, where half of its 44 genes still remain without a definitive function. These genes could be categorized into two major groups of KPC (known protein coding) and Ymf (genes without an identified function). To gain insights into the mechanisms underlying gene divergence and molecular evolution of Tetrahymena (T.) Mt genomes, we sequenced three Mt genomes of T.paravorax, T.pigmentosa, and T.malaccensis. These genomes were aligned and the analyses were carried out using several programs that calculate distance, nucleotide substitution (dn/ds), and their rate ratios (omega) on individual codon sites and via a sliding window approach. Comparative genomic analysis indicated a conserved

SUBMITTER: Moradian MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1919467 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature