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. 1996 Jul;143(3):1299–1306. doi: 10.1093/genetics/143.3.1299

Reduced Germline Mobility of a Mariner Vector Containing Exogenous DNA: Effect of Size or Site?

A R Lohe 1, D L Hartl 1
PMCID: PMC1207398  PMID: 8807301

Abstract

Germline mobilization of the transposable element mariner is severely inhibited by the insertion of a 4.5- to 11.9-kb fragment of exogenous DNA into a unique SacI site approximately in the middle of the 1286-bp element. In the presence of transposase driven by the germline-specific hsp26-sgs3 promoter, mobilization of the MlwB construct (containing a 11.9-kb insertion) is detected at low frequency. Analysis of a mobilized MlwB element indicated that mobilization is mediated by the mariner transposase. However, transposed MlwB elements are also defective in germline mobilization. Rare, transposase-induced germ-line excision events were also recovered for such vectors. The estimated rate of excision is <0.1% per chromosome per generation. Excision appears to be accompanied by gap repair if a suitable template is available. The data imply that the reduced mobility of mariner vectors with exogenous DNA in the SacI site results from disruption of sequences necessary for efficient mobilization. The relative stability may be a valuable property in the uses of mariner-like elements in genetic engineering of insects of economic importance.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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