Cloning and sequence analysis of a mitochondrial gene cluster encoding cytochrome C oxidase subunit III from Trichoderma pseudokoningii.

Abstract

A mitochondrial gene cluster encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit III (COX3), an ORF (called ORF250) similar to NADH dehydrogenase subunit VI (ND6), ten tRNA molecules, partial rRNA small subunit and rRNA large subunit from Trichoderma pseudokoningii S38 was cloned and sequenced. These genes are tandemly clustered on the mitochondrial genome of Trichoderma pseudokoningii S38. Phylogenetic analysis showed that cytochrome C oxidase subunits III exhibited high degree of similarity to sequences from Hypocrea jecorina, Verticillium lecanii, Podospora anserine, Neurospora crassa and Magnaporthe grisea (99, 90, 84, 82 and 79% identity, respectively). Prediction of transmembrane helices revealed that COX3 was a transmembrane protein. Northern dot blot analysis showed that the cytochrome c oxidase subunits III gene we had cloned is actively transcribed in the T. pseudokoningii mitochondria.