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. 2006 Aug 29;4(9):e286. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040286

Figure 2. Relationship between MIC and MAC Chromosomes.

Figure 2

The top horizontal bar shows a small portion of one of the five pairs of MIC chromosomes. MAC-destined sequences are shown in alternating shades of gray. MIC-specific IESs (internally eliminated sequences) are shown as blue rectangles, and sites of the 15-bp Cbs are shown as red bars (not to scale). Below the top bar are shown macronuclear chromosomes derived from the above region of the MIC by deletion of IESs, site-specific cleavage at Cbs sites, and amplification. Telomeres are added to the newly generated ends (green bars). Most of the MAC chromosomes are amplified to approximately 45 copies (only three shown). Through the process of phenotypic assortment, initially heterozygous loci generally become homozygous in each lineage within approximately 100 vegetative fissions. Polymorphisms located on the same MAC chromosome tend to co-assort.