A COMPLETE SEQUENCE OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME OF THE WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLA

The complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule of the gorilla was seq uenced. The entire sequence, 16,412 nucleotides, was determined by ana lysis of natural (not polymerase chain reaction) restriction fragments covering the whole molecule. The sequence was established from one in dividual and thus nonchimeric. After comparison with the COII gene of gorilla specimens with known geographical origin, the sequence was ide ntified as characteristic of the Western lowland gorilla, Gorilla gori lla gorilla. With the exception of the NADH2 gene, all genes have a me thionine start codon. The inferred start codon of NADH2 is ATT (isoleu cine). The COIII, NADH4, and cytochrome b genes are not terminated by a stop codon triplet, and the COI gene is probably terminated by an AA A triplet rather than by a regular stop codon. The great majority of g enic sequences (rRNAS, peptide-coding genes, tRNAs) of the complete mt DNAs of Gorilla, Pan, and Homo show a greater similarity between Pan a nd Homo than between either of these genera to Gorilla. The analysis o f the peptide-coding genes suggests that relative to comparison betwee n Homo and Pan a certain degree of transition saturation has taken pla ce in codon position 3 in comparisons between Gorilla to either Homo o r Pan.