Genes for tRNAglY and tRNAser have been identified within sequences of mtDNA of Drosophila yakuba. The tRNAglY gene lies between the genes for cytochrome c oxidase subunit III and URF3, and all three of these genes are contained in the same strand of the mtDNA molecule. The tRNAqC gene is adjacent to the URF1 gene. These genes are contained in opposite strands f the mtDNA molecule and their 3' ends overlap. The structures of the tRNA9YT and tRNA ser gejes, and gf the f?ur tRNA genes of D. yakuba mtDNA reported earlier U(fNAi e, tRNA n, tRNA -me and tRNAva )Fare compared to each other, to non-organelle tRNAs, and to corresponding mammalian mitochondrial tRNA genes. Within 19 nucleotides upstream froqi the 5' terminal. ucleotide of each of the Drosophila mitochondrial tRNAlY, tRN tRNAI e, tRNA9n and tRNA -meL genes occurs the sequence 5'TTTATTAT, or a sequence differing from it by one nucleotide substitution. Upstream from this octanucleotide sequence, and separated from it by 3, 4 and 11 nucleotides, respectively, in the 5' flanking regions of the tRNAlle, tRNAser and tRNAJy genes occurs the sequence 5'GATGAG.
INTRODUCTIONThe nucleotide sequence of the whole mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule of each of three mammals, human, bovine and mouse, has been completed (1-3).