Selenocysteyl-tRNAs recognize UGA in Beta vulgaris, a higher plant, and in Gliocladium virens, a filamentous fungus
Hatfield, D.; Choi, I.S.; Mischke, S.; Owens, L.D.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 184(1): 254-259
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0006-291X PMID: 1567433 Document Number: 396819
Selenocysteyl-tRNAs that decode UGA were previously identified in representatives of three of the five life kingdoms which were the monera, animal and protist kingdoms. In the present study, we show that these tRNAs also occur in representatives of the two remaining kingdoms, plants and fungi; i.e., selenocysteyl-tRNAs which code for UGA occur in Beta vulgaris, a higher plant, and in Gliocladium virens, a filamentous fungus. The fact that selenocysteyl-tRNAs are present in all five life kingdoms strongly suggests that UGA, in addition to dictating the cessation of protein synthesis, also codes for selenocysteine in the universal genetic code.