Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2818761 | Gene | 2009 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
There are over 6000 internally eliminated DNA sequences (IESs) in the Tetrahymena genome that are deleted in a programmed fashion during the development of a polyploid, somatic macronucleus from a diploid germline micronucleus. Recently, based on several results, a homology and small RNA-based mechanism has been proposed for the efficient elimination of IES elements. Since the RNAi machinery is proposed to be intimately involved in silencing potentially harmful repeats such as transposons and viruses, characterization of repeats and the conditions for their developmental elimination from the somatic genome is warranted. Three short (500-600Â bp) repeat families, members of which had been experimentally identified in IESs, that is, in micronucleus-specific DNA, are examined here using the Tetrahymena genome database. Members of all three families display varied degrees of truncation and are represented in macronuclear sequences. A 200Â bp segment of one of the families can appear in the genome on its own, or as part of a 600Â bp repeat detected experimentally, or in association with an unrelated 1Â kb sequence to form a 1.2Â kb repeat that is also frequently truncated. The 1Â kb sequence contains a 300Â bp section similar to a repeat associated with a non-long terminal repeat-like element and is often found accompanied by several more copies of this shorter repeat. These observations indicate that transposition may have had a role in the evolution of the short repeat families.
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Authors
Piroska Huvos,