Hydroxymethyluracil in Eukaryote DNA: A Natural Feature of the Pyrrophyta (Dinoflagellates)

Analysis of the DNA of several diverse dinoflagellates and other algae has revealed that the presence of the base hydroxymethyluracil (HOMeU) is a feature common among the DNA's of dinoflagellates; this base has not been found in any other group of eukaryotes that has been examined. Among exami...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1976-12, Vol.194 (4269), p.1062-1064
Main Author: Rae, P M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Animals
Bacteriophages
Base composition
Biological Evolution
Buoyancy
Centrifugation, Isopycnic
Chromosomes
Dinoflagellida - analysis
DNA
DNA - analysis
Eukaryota - analysis
Eukaryotic cells
Melting
Nucleic Acid Denaturation
Nucleotides
Phosphates
Species Specificity
Uracil - analogs & derivatives
Uracil - analysis
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Summary:Analysis of the DNA of several diverse dinoflagellates and other algae has revealed that the presence of the base hydroxymethyluracil (HOMeU) is a feature common among the DNA's of dinoflagellates; this base has not been found in any other group of eukaryotes that has been examined. Among examined members of the dinoflagellates, the ratio of the base pairs HOMeU · A to T · A, where A is adenine and T is thymine, ranges from 0.14 to 2.13. In addition to hydroxymethyluracil, the DNA of one dinoflagellate contains methylcytosine, and that of another contains methyladenine, while the DNA of other dinoflagellates contains no detectable amounts of either of these two bases.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.988637