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High-frequency deletion between homologous sequences during retrotransposition of Ty elements in Saccharomyces
1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Abstract:
By following the fates of genetically marked Ty elements, we observed a very high frequency (80-90%) of deletion between directly repeated marker sequences during transposition. From blot hybridization analyses of Ty RNA and DNA species found in the Ty virus-like particles, we determined that the deletion events occurred during or immediately after reverse transcription of Ty RNA but before integration of Ty DNA. The results suggest that the Ty reverse-transcription machinery can recognize homologous sequences in the template. This capacity may be utilized in the replication and recombination processes of retrotransposons and retroviruses.