The defective En-I102 element encodes a product reducing the mutability of the En/Spm transposable element system of Zea mays

EMBO J. 1988 Oct;7(10):2953-60. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03157.x.

Abstract

Genetic and molecular analysis has revealed a specific En-element of deletion derivative (En-I102) which reduces En/Spm-induced mutability. In the presence of En-I102 the excision frequency of both the autonomous En-1 element and the inhibitor element Spm-I5719A is reduced and excision occurs later in development. The 3697 bp long En-I102 element is derived from En-1 by an internal deletion of 4590 bp removing nucleotides 1862-6451. The promoter at the left end and sequences required for polyadenylation are retained in En-I102. It is transcribed to yield predominantly a 1.8 kb poly(A) RNA. cDNA analysis of this transcript indicated that it contains the coding capacity for a 386 amino acid polypeptide. This polypeptide shares homology with En/Spm encoded functions and we suggest that it interferes with transposition at the protein level.

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • DNA Transposable Elements / genetics*
  • DNA, Plant / genetics
  • Gene Deletion
  • Genes, Plant / genetics
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Zea mays / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • DNA, Plant