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PMID: 2550791 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Composite transposable elements in the Xenopus laevis genome.

Molecular and cellular biology ·Vol. 9 ·No. 7 ·1989-07-00 ·Pages 3018-27

Garrett JE, Knutzon DS, Carroll D

Abstract

Members of two related families of transposable elements, Tx1 and Tx2, were isolated from the genome of Xenopus laevis and characterized. In both families, two versions of the elements were found. The smaller version in each family (Tx1d and Tx2d) consisted largely of two types of 400-base-pair tandem internal repeats. These elements had discrete ends and short inverted terminal repeats characteristic of mobile DNAs that are presumed to move via DNA intermediates, e.g., Drosophila P and maize Ac elements. The longer versions (Tx1c and Tx2c) differed from Tx1d and Tx2d by the presence of a 6.9-kilobase-pair internal segment that included two long open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 had one cysteine-plus-histidine-rich sequence of the type found in retroviral gag proteins. ORF2 showed more substantial homology to retroviral pol genes and particularly to the analogs of pol found in a subclass of mobile DNAs that are supposed retrotransposons, such as mammalian long interspersed repetitive sequences, Drosophila I factors, silkworm R1 elements, and trypanosome Ingi elements. Thus, the Tx1 elements present a paradox by exhibiting features of two classes of mobile DNAs that are thought to have very different modes of transposition. Two possible resolutions are considered: (i) the composite versions are actually made up of two independent elements, one of the retrotransposon class, which has a high degree of specificity for insertion into a target within the other, P-like element; and (ii) the composite elements are intact, autonomous mobile DNAs, in which the pol-like gene product collaborates with the terminal inverted repeats to cause transposition of the entire unit.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Animals Base Sequence Blotting, Southern DNA/classification,genetics DNA Transposable Elements Molecular Sequence Data Multigene Family Plasmids Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid Xenopus laevis/genetics
Chemicals
DNA Transposable Elements DNA
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Garrett J E
Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132.
Knutzon D S
Carroll D
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Article Info
Journal
Molecular and cellular biology
Abbr.
Mol Cell Biol
ISSN
0270-7306
DOI
10.1128/mcb.9.7.3018-3027.1989
Published
1989-07-00
Pages
3018-27
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8109087
PMCID
PMC362770
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM22232 · United States
Databases
GENBANK
M26915
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/mcb.9.7.3018-3027.1989 PMC Full Text View journal details
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