A tRNA(Glu) gene from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus contains the 3'-terminal CCA sequence of the mature tRNA.

We cloned a gene encoding tRNA(Glu) of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. This gene contains the CCA sequence corresponding to the 3'-terminus of the mature tRNA. It is known that, like in eukaryal tRNAs, the CCA-termini of archaeal tRNAs are generally not encoded. Therefore, we analyzed all tRNA genes in the genome of Methanococcus jannaschii estimated by its whole genome sequence. Twenty-one of 37 listed tRNA genes contained the 3'-terminal CCA sequence. The corresponding M. jannaschii tRNA(Glu) gene does not contain the CCA sequence, although the tRNA sequences of the M. jannaschii and P. furiosus tRNA(Glu) genes are 86% identical.