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Home / Equine Research Bank / Gene / The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the horse, Equus ...
Gene1994; 148(2); 357-362; doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(94)90713-7

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the horse, Equus caballus: extensive heteroplasmy of the control region.

Abstract: The sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA of the horse (Equus caballus) was determined. The length of the sequence presented is 16,660 bp. This figure, however, is not absolute due to pronounced heteroplasmy caused by variable numbers of the motif GTGCACCT in the control region of different molecules. Boundaries of the 13 peptide-coding genes were determined by the presence of start and stop codons, and by analogy with other eutherian mtDNAs. Three genes (COIII, NADH3 and NADH4) were not terminated by a stop codon. Comparison among the peptide-coding genes of the horse and eight other mammals suggests that the boundaries of some mt genes should be redefined. The number of repeats in the control region was determined by sequencing 77 different clones (20 direct plus 57 PCR clones). The number of repeats ranged from 2 to 29. There was a pronounced overrepresentation of clones with many repeats (22-27). Very few clones had a repeat number that was close to the mean number of repeats.
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Publication Date: 1994-10-21 PubMed ID: 7958969DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(94)90713-7Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article presents the complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the horse (Equus caballus) and illustrates high variability in the control region due to the varying numbers of a particular genetic motif.

Objective of the Research

  • The main objective of the research conducted by the authors was to determine the complete sequence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the horse, Equus caballus. This also involved identifying the boundaries of the 13 peptide-coding genes.

Detailed Methodology

  • The scientists identified the limits of the 13 peptide-coding genes by scrutinizing the DNA sequence for start and stop codons, which mark the beginning and end of a gene. They also used comparisons with existing knowledge about the mtDNA of other mammals called eutherians.
  • Interestingly, three out of the thirteen genes (COIII, NADH3, and NADH4) didn’t end with a typical stop codon. This peculiar phenomenon suggested that the traditional understanding of mtDNA gene boundaries might need to be updated.
  • Another significant aspect of the research was the investigation of ‘heteroplasmy’ in the control region of the horse’s mtDNA. Heteroplasmy refers to the presence of more than one type of mtDNA within a cell or an organism. In this case, the heteroplasmy was caused by varying numbers of the motif “GTGCACCT”.
  • To determine the number of repeats of the “GTGCACCT” motif in the mtDNA control region, the researchers worked with 77 different clones—20 direct and 57 from Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a technique used to amplify specific DNA segments.

Key Findings

  • The complete horse mtDNA sequence was found to be 16,660 base pairs (bp) long. This length, however, is not a strict constant due to the heteroplasmy observed in the control region.
  • The number of “GTGCACCT” motif repeats ranged from 2 to 29, with a notable overrepresentation of clones containing many repeats (22-27). Conversely, very few clones had a repeat number close to the mean, thus indicating a non-uniform distribution of motif repetitions.
  • The findings also suggested that the currently understood boundaries of some mtDNA genes might need revising based on comparison with the mtDNA of eight other mammalian species.

Cite This Article

APA
Xu X, Arnason U. (1994). The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the horse, Equus caballus: extensive heteroplasmy of the control region. Gene, 148(2), 357-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-1119(94)90713-7

Publication

Gene
ISSN: 0378-1119
NlmUniqueID: 7706761
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 148
Issue: 2
Pages: 357-362

Researcher Affiliations

Xu, X
  • Division of Evolutionary Molecular Systematics, Lund, Sweden.
Arnason, U

    MeSH Terms

    • Animals
    • Base Sequence
    • DNA, Mitochondrial / chemistry
    • Horses / genetics
    • Humans
    • Molecular Sequence Data
    • Nucleic Acid Conformation
    • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid

    Citations

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