The C.elegans antizyme mRNA frameshift site UUU-UGA is unique, differing from the UCC-UGA of previously known antizyme mRNAs. The C.elegans antizyme gene shares this feature with N.americanus and H.contortus but not with P.paci®cus and O.volvulus antizymes. The phylogenetic tree of nematode antizyme protein sequences matches exactly the phylogenetic relationship (Blaxter, 1998) of the nematodes expressing them, indicating that these gene sequences are the result of divergent evolution within the nematode lineage (data not shown). These results also show that the UUU-UGA frameshift site evolved after the last common ancestor of P.paci®cus and C.elegans but before the divergence of C.elegans, N.americanus and H.contortus (probably 450± 500 million years ago).