Mechanism of Ds1 excision from the genome of maize streak virus

We have previously shown that the maize transposable element Ds1 introduced into maize plants by agroinfection can be excised from the genome of geminivirus maize streak virus (MSV). Excision depended strictly on the presence of an active Ac element in the plants. In this study, the excision products or "footprints" left in the MSV genome after Ds1 excision were extensively characterized and the effects of flanking sequences on Ds1 excision were analysed. Most types of footprints obtained were comparable to those described for Ds1 excision in the maize genome, and could be explained by the models proposed for excision of plant transposable elements. In two revertants, however, some terminal sequences of the Ds1 element were found to have been left behind at the excision site. The finding of this novel type of Ds1 footprint indicated that gene conversion events occurred during and/or after Ds1 excision from the MSV genome. A partial deletion of one copy of the 8 bp duplications flanking the Ds1 element had no effect on the frequency or on the types of footprints of Ds1 excision from the MSV genome. Thus, the duplicated 8 bp sequences flanking the transposable element are not involved in Ds1 excision. These results, as well as a statistical analysis of the modifications of the bases flanking the Ds1 element after excision, are discussed in terms of excision models.