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Evolutionary instability of CUG-Leu in the genetic code of budding yeasts

Author

Listed:
  • Tadeusz Krassowski

    (University College Dublin)

  • Aisling Y. Coughlan

    (University College Dublin)

  • Xing-Xing Shen

    (Vanderbilt University)

  • Xiaofan Zhou

    (Vanderbilt University
    South China Agricultural University)

  • Jacek Kominek

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Dana A. Opulente

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Robert Riley

    (United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute
    Amyris)

  • Igor V. Grigoriev

    (United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute)

  • Nikunj Maheshwari

    (University College Dublin)

  • Denis C. Shields

    (University College Dublin)

  • Cletus P. Kurtzman

    (Agricultural Research Service)

  • Chris Todd Hittinger

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Antonis Rokas

    (Vanderbilt University)

  • Kenneth H. Wolfe

    (University College Dublin)

Abstract

The genetic code used in nuclear genes is almost universal, but here we report that it changed three times in parallel during the evolution of budding yeasts. All three changes were reassignments of the codon CUG, which is translated as serine (in 2 yeast clades), alanine (1 clade), or the ‘universal’ leucine (2 clades). The newly discovered Ser2 clade is in the final stages of a genetic code transition. Most species in this clade have genes for both a novel tRNASer(CAG) and an ancestral tRNALeu(CAG) to read CUG, but only tRNASer(CAG) is used in standard growth conditions. The coexistence of these alloacceptor tRNA genes indicates that the genetic code transition occurred via an ambiguous translation phase. We propose that the three parallel reassignments of CUG were not driven by natural selection in favor of their effects on the proteome, but by selection to eliminate the ancestral tRNALeu(CAG).

Suggested Citation

  • Tadeusz Krassowski & Aisling Y. Coughlan & Xing-Xing Shen & Xiaofan Zhou & Jacek Kominek & Dana A. Opulente & Robert Riley & Igor V. Grigoriev & Nikunj Maheshwari & Denis C. Shields & Cletus P. Kurtzm, 2018. "Evolutionary instability of CUG-Leu in the genetic code of budding yeasts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-04374-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04374-7
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