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RNA editing in tobacco chloroplasts leads to the formation of a translatable psbL mRNA by a C to U substitution within the initiation codon.
Author(s) -
Kudla J.,
Igloi G.L.,
Metzlaff M.,
Hagemann R.,
Kössel H.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05149.x
Subject(s) - martin luther , biology , theology , philosophy
The psbL gene which codes for a 38 amino acid peptide of photosystem II, together with the photosynthetic genes psbE and psbF, is contained in a conserved position of many species of higher plant plastomes. The alignment of the psbL nucleotide sequences from ten species shows strong conservation, which is indicative of a functional gene. The tobacco and spinach psbL genes have, however, an ACG codon instead of the initiator ATG codon observed in the homologous position of the other eight species. Evidence is presented that in tobacco chloroplasts a translatable psbL mRNA containing an AUG initiator codon is formed by a C to U editing of the ACG codon. This observation, following the previously reported editing of an rpl2 gene in maize chloroplasts, underlines a more widespread occurrence of this type of posttranscriptional mRNA modification and demonstrates its presence in a dicotyledon plant.