Nucleic Acids Research, Vol 24, Issue 17 3337-3340, Copyright © 1996 by Oxford University Press
DC Hoffman and DM Prescott
We report the structure of the micronuclear (germline) gene encoding the
large catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase alpha (DNA pol alpha) in the
ciliate Oxytricha nova. It contains 44 internal eliminated segments (IESs)
that divide the gene into 45 macronuclear-destined segments (MDSs) that are
in a non-randomly scrambled order with an inversion near the gene center.
Odd numbered MDSs 29-43, containing 230 bp out of a total of 4938 bp of
macronuclear sequence, are missing from the 14 kb cloned gene. The missing
MDSs have not been located but are at least several kilobases from the main
body of the gene. The remarkably scrambled DNA pol alpha gene must be
extensively cut, re-ordered and spliced and an inversion must occur to
produce an unscrambled, functional version of the gene during development
of a new macronucleus. Unscrambling is hypothesized to occur by a
homologous recombination mechanism guided by repeat sequences at MDS ends.
ARTICLES
The germline gene encoding DNA polymerase alpha in the hypotrichous ciliate Oxytricha nova is extremely scrambled
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0347, USA.
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