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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Jul 29.
Published in final edited form as: Immunogenetics. 2008 Mar 11;60(5):257–265. doi: 10.1007/s00251-008-0285-3

Figure 6. The nitr13 gene originated via transposition.

Figure 6

(a) The nitr13 gene encodes 2 exons (top). The protein coding sequence of the nitr13 gene is comprised of 2 segments (black rectangles) in exons 1 and 2. The nitr13 mRNA possesses coding sequences for a leader (L), variable (V), intermediate (I) and transmembrane (TM) domains (middle). However a stop codon (TAA) and a reading frame shift exist between the V and I domains: a frame shift also exists between the I and the TM domains. Three non-coding sequences (gray rectangles) indicate that nitr13 arose via retrotransposition of a mature NITR mRNA: 1) a leader (L) sequence is found at the 3' end of the single intron, which is in frame with the variable (V) domain in exon 2, and 2) an Ig domain of the intermediate (I) type and 3) a transmembrane domain in the 3' untranslated region. One possible model for the nitr13 precursor mRNA is shown (bottom). (b) The protein structure of the predicted precursor to Nitr13 is compared to Nitr13.