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An unusual coding sequence from a Drosophila clock gene is conserved in vertebrates
Nature
|October 3, 1985
Summary
The per locus gene in Drosophila, crucial for biological rhythms, shows sequence homology in vertebrates. This suggests conserved mechanisms for regulating circadian and short-period behaviors across species.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The per locus in Drosophila is essential for regulating biological rhythms, including circadian behaviors like eclosion and locomotor activity.
- Mutations in the per locus can significantly alter the timing and duration of these rhythmic activities.
- Previous research cloned the per locus DNA, identifying a 7.1-kilobase fragment containing a functional gene that produces a 4.5-kilobase poly(A)+ RNA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of sequences homologous to the Drosophila per locus in the genomic DNA of various vertebrate species.
- To identify conserved genetic elements involved in the regulation of biological rhythms.
- To explore the evolutionary conservation of repetitive DNA sequences associated with rhythmicity.
Main Methods:
- DNA hybridization techniques were employed to search for homologous sequences in vertebrate genomic DNA.
- P-element-mediated DNA transformation was used to confirm the functionality of the cloned per locus gene.
- Analysis of cloned DNA from mouse and Drosophila to identify specific repetitive sequences.
Main Results:
- A tandemly repeated sequence within the Drosophila per transcript showed homology to DNA found in chicken, mouse, and human genomes.
- The per locus in Drosophila and cloned mouse DNA share related long, uninterrupted tandem repetitions of the ACNGGN sequence.
- These tandem repeats at the per locus are predicted to encode long poly(Thr-Gly) amino acid tracts, which are also transcribed in mouse DNA.
Conclusions:
- The per locus contains conserved repetitive DNA sequences homologous across diverse species, from insects to vertebrates.
- These findings suggest an evolutionary conservation of genetic mechanisms underlying biological rhythmicity.
- The poly(Thr-Gly) tracts encoded by these repetitive sequences may play a significant role in the function of the per gene product in rhythm regulation.