Nucleotide sequence of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 2 and val‐tRNA genes and surrounding sequences from Kluyveromyces lactis K8 mitochondrial DNA

The nucleotide sequence of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 2 (cox2) and val‐tRNA genes and surrounding regions from Kluyveromyces lactis mitochondrial DNA is reported. Analysis of the coding regions shows that the codons CUN (Thr), CGN (Arg) and AUA (Met) are absent in this gene. A single sequence, ATATAAGTAA, identical to the baker's yeast mtRNA polymerase recognition site, was detected upstream of val‐tRNA. This sequence is absent from regions between val‐tRNA‐cox2 and cox2‐cox1. In addition a sequence AATAATATTCTT, identical to the mRNA processing site in other yeast mitochondrial genomes is present 32–43 bp downstream to the TAA stop codon for the cox‐2 gene. Another short conserved sequence of 5 bp, TCTAA, is present upstream of the coding regions of cox2 genes in several yeasts, including K. lactis, but is not present upstream of other genes. Comparison of cox2 sequences from other organisms indicates that the mitochondrial DNA of K. lactis. is closely related to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.