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. 1990 Dec;126(4):1071–1082. doi: 10.1093/genetics/126.4.1071

Mobile Element Insertions Causing Mutations in the Drosophila Suppressor of Sable Locus Occur in Dnase I Hypersensitive Subregions of 5'-Transcribed Nontranslated Sequences

R A Voelker 1, J Graves 1, W Gibson 1, M Eisenberg 1
PMCID: PMC1204270  PMID: 1963868

Abstract

The locations of 16 mobile element insertions causing mutations at the Drosophila suppressor of sable [su(s)] locus were determined by restriction mapping and DNA sequencing of the junction sites. The transposons causing the mutations are: P element (5 alleles), gypsy (3 alleles), 17.6, HMS Beagle, springer, Delta 88, prygun, Stalker, and a new mobile element which was named roamer (2 alleles). Four P element insertions occur in 5' nontranslated leader sequences, while the fifth P element and all 11 non-P elements inserted into the 2053 nucleotide, 5'-most intron that is spliced from the 5' nontranslated leader ~100 nucleotides upstream of the translation start. Fifteen of the 16 mobile elements inserted within a ~1900 nucleotide region that contains seven 100-200-nucleotide long DNase I-hypersensitive subregions that alternate with DNase I-resistant intervals of similar lengths. The locations of these 15 insertion sites correlate well with the roughly estimated locations of five of the DNase I-hypersensitive subregions. These findings suggest that the features of chromatin structure that accompany gene activation may also make the DNA susceptible to insertion of mobile elements.

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Selected References

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