Duplication of the tRNA(MMet) and tRNA(Cys) genes and of fragments of a gene encoding a subunit of the NADH dehydrogenase complex in Neurospora grassa mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

Neurospora crassa mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contains duplications of the tRNA(MMet) gene upstream of a gene (ND2) encoding a subunit of the NADH dehydrogenase complex and of the tRNA(Cys) gene which is found downstream of the apocytochrome b gene. Both duplicated genes are located upstream of the small rRNA gene. The duplications are extended to flanking sequences. In the case of the tRNA(MMet) duplication, two fragments of the ND2 gene are also duplicated. These two fragments, which are not contiguous in the ND2 gene, are connected to each other by a palindromic sequence of 37 bp and together they constitute an open reading frame. The possible involvement of this palindromic sequence in the processes of gene duplication and transfer is discussed. Two overlapping reading frames are present between the tRNA(MMet) and tRNA(Cys) copies. All information of the ND2 duplication and the two overlapping reading frames are present on a polycistronic transcript.