The amino acid sequence of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and castor (Ricinus communis L.) cytochrome c

Abstract

The amino acid sequences of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and castor (Ricinus communis L.) cytochrome c were determined by using 1.5μmol of protein from each species. Both molecules consist of a single chain of 111 amino acid residues and are homologous with other mitochondrial cytochrome c molecules. Both have an N-acetylated ‘tail’ of eight amino acids and two ∈-N-trimethyl-lysine residues, as also reported for wheat germ (Delange, Glazer & Smith, 1969) and mung-bean cytochrome c (Thompson, Laycock, Ramshaw & Boulter, 1970). Two different preparations of castor cytochrome c differed by one residue. This was glutamic acid for glutamine in position 100. The results for sesame and castor cytochrome c led to a re-examination and subsequent correction to the N-terminal region of the mung-bean cytochrome c sequence, as given by Thompson et al. (1970).