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. 1983 May 25;11(10):3317–3332. doi: 10.1093/nar/11.10.3317

Identification and sequence of the initiation site for rat 45S ribosomal RNA synthesis.

C A Harrington, D M Chikaraishi
PMCID: PMC325965  PMID: 6304628

Abstract

The transcription initiation site for rat 45S precursor ribosomal RNA synthesis was determined by nuclease protection mapping with two single-strand endonucleases. S1 and mung bean, and one single-strand exonuclease, ExoVII. These experiments were performed with end-labeled ribosomal DNA from double-stranded pBR322 recombinants and from single-stranded M13 recombinants. Results from experiments using both kinds of DNA and all three enzymes showed that the 5' end of 45S RNA mapped to a unique site 125 bases upstream from the Hind III site in the ribosomal DNA gene. The DNA surrounding this site (designated +1) was sequenced from -281 to +641. The entire sequence of this region shows extensive homology to the comparable region of mouse. This includes three stretches of T residues in the non-coding strand between +300 and +630. Two sets of direct repeats adjacent to these T-rich regions are observed. Comparison of the mouse and human ribosomal DNA transcription initiation sites with the rat sequence reported in this paper demonstrates a conserved sequence at +2 to +16, CTGACACGCTGTCCT. This suggests that this region may be important for the initiation of transcription on mammalian ribosomal DNAs.

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Selected References

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