Biomaterial Database

The mitochondrial genome of Euglena gracilis. 1975

G Fonty, and E J Crouse, and E Stutz, and G Bernardi

Mitochondrial DNA from Euglena gracilis has been investigated in its chemical and physical properties. Its G + C content is equal to 25%; its buoyant density in a CsCl density gradient (1.690 g/cm3) is higher, by 5 mg/cm3, than expected for a bacterial DNA having the same base composition. The buoyant densities of denatured and renatured DNA are higher than that of native DNA by 10-12 mg/cm3 and 6 mg/cm3, respectively. The melting temperature, Tm, is 77 degrees C in standard saline citrate; the first derivative of the melting curve shows a striking multimodality. Degradation of the DNA by micrococcal nuclease indicates that about 40% of the DNA is formed by stretches lower than 10% in G + C. In all its properties the mitochondrial DNA from Euglena gracilis is strikingly similar to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008836	Micrococcal Nuclease	An enzyme that catalyzes the endonucleolytic cleavage to 3'-phosphomononucleotide and 3'-phospholigonucleotide end-products. It can cause hydrolysis of double- or single-stranded DNA or RNA. (From Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992) EC 3.1.31.1.	Staphylococcal Nuclease,TNase,Thermonuclease,Thermostable Nuclease,Nuclease, Micrococcal,Nuclease, Staphylococcal,Nuclease, Thermostable
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D009691	Nucleic Acid Denaturation	Disruption of the secondary structure of nucleic acids by heat, extreme pH or chemical treatment. Double strand DNA is "melted" by dissociation of the non-covalent hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Denatured DNA appears to be a single-stranded flexible structure. The effects of denaturation on RNA are similar though less pronounced and largely reversible.	DNA Denaturation,DNA Melting,RNA Denaturation,Acid Denaturation, Nucleic,Denaturation, DNA,Denaturation, Nucleic Acid,Denaturation, RNA,Nucleic Acid Denaturations
D009695	Nucleic Acid Renaturation	The reformation of all, or part of, the native conformation of a nucleic acid molecule after the molecule has undergone denaturation.	Acid Renaturation, Nucleic,Acid Renaturations, Nucleic,Nucleic Acid Renaturations,Renaturation, Nucleic Acid,Renaturations, Nucleic Acid
D002499	Centrifugation, Density Gradient	Separation of particles according to density by employing a gradient of varying densities. At equilibrium each particle settles in the gradient at a point equal to its density. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Centrifugations, Density Gradient,Density Gradient Centrifugation,Density Gradient Centrifugations,Gradient Centrifugation, Density,Gradient Centrifugations, Density
D003596	Cytosine	A pyrimidine base that is a fundamental unit of nucleic acids.
D004272	DNA, Mitochondrial	Double-stranded DNA of MITOCHONDRIA. In eukaryotes, the mitochondrial GENOME is circular and codes for ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, and about 10 proteins.	Mitochondrial DNA,mtDNA
D005056	Euglena gracilis	A species of fresh-water, flagellated EUKARYOTES in the phylum EUGLENIDA.	Euglena gracili,gracilis, Euglena
D005796	Genes	A category of nucleic acid sequences that function as units of heredity and which code for the basic instructions for the development, reproduction, and maintenance of organisms.	Cistron,Gene,Genetic Materials,Cistrons,Genetic Material,Material, Genetic,Materials, Genetic