Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Molecular and Cellular Biology logoLink to Molecular and Cellular Biology
. 1985 Jan;5(1):93–98. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.1.93

Elimination of micronuclear specific DNA sequences early in anlagen development.

C F Brunk, R K Conover
PMCID: PMC366682  PMID: 3982421

Abstract

After conjugation in Tetrahymena thermophila, the old macronuclei degenerate, and new macronuclei (anlagen) develop. During anlagen development a number of DNA sequences found in the micronuclear genome (micronuclear limited sequences) are eliminated from the anlagen. A cloned copy of a repetitive micronuclear limited sequence has been used to determine the developmental stage at which micronuclear limited sequences are eliminated. DNAs from anlagen of various developmental stages were examined by Southern analysis. It was found that micronuclear limited sequences are present in 4C anlagen and essentially absent in 8C and 16C anlagen. The precipitous loss of these sequences in the 8C anlagen rules out under-replication as the mechanism for the loss and suggests that these sequences are specifically degraded early during anlagen development.

Full text

PDF
93

Images in this article

94Image
on p.94
95Image
on p.95
96Image
on p.96

Selected References

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

  1. Ammermann D., Steinbrück G., von Berger L., Hennig W. The development of the macronucleus in the ciliated protozoan Stylonychia mytilus. Chromosoma. 1974 May 10;45(4):401–429. doi: 10.1007/BF00283386. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brunk C. F., Leick V. Rapid equilibrium isopycnic CsC1 gradients. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1969 Mar 18;179(1):136–144. doi: 10.1016/0005-2787(69)90129-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brunk C. F., Tsao S. G., Diamond C. H., Ohashi P. S., Tsao N. N., Pearlman R. E. Reorganization of unique and repetitive sequences during nuclear development in Tetrahymena thermophila. Can J Biochem. 1982 Sep;60(9):847–853. doi: 10.1139/o82-107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bruns P. J., Brussard T. B. Pair formation in tetrahymena pyriformis, an inducible developmental system. J Exp Zool. 1974 Jun;188(3):337–344. doi: 10.1002/jez.1401880309. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bruns P. J., Brussard T. B. Positive selection for mating with functional heterokaryons in Tetrahymena pyriformis. Genetics. 1974 Nov;78(3):831–841. doi: 10.1093/genetics/78.3.831. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Doerder F. P., DeBault L. E. Life cycle variation and regulation of macronuclear DNA content in Tetrahymena thermophila. Chromosoma. 1978 Oct 20;69(1):1–19. doi: 10.1007/BF00327377. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Doerder F. P., Debault L. E. Cytofluorimetric analysis of nuclear DNA during meiosis, fertilization and macronuclear development in the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis, syngen 1. J Cell Sci. 1975 May;17(3):471–493. doi: 10.1242/jcs.17.3.471. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Engberg J., Andersson P., Leick V., Collins J. Free ribosomal DNA molecules from Tetrahymena pyriformis GL are giant palindromes. J Mol Biol. 1976 Jun 25;104(2):455–470. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(76)90281-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Engberg J., Pearlman R. E. The amount of ribosomal RNA genes in Tetrahymena pyriformis in different physiological states. Eur J Biochem. 1972 Apr 11;26(3):393–400. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1972.tb01779.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gall J. G. Free ribosomal RNA genes in the macronucleus of Tetrahymena. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Aug;71(8):3078–3081. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.8.3078. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gorovsky M. A. Genome organization and reorganization in Tetrahymena. Annu Rev Genet. 1980;14:203–239. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.14.120180.001223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gorovsky M. A. Macro- and micronuclei of Tetrahymena pyriformis: a model system for studying the structure and function of eukaryotic nuclei. J Protozool. 1973 Feb;20(1):19–25. doi: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1973.tb05995.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gorovsky M. A., Yao M. C., Keevert J. B., Pleger G. L. Isolation of micro- and macronuclei of Tetrahymena pyriformis. Methods Cell Biol. 1975;9(0):311–327. doi: 10.1016/s0091-679x(08)60080-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Iwamura Y., Sakai M., Mita T., Muramatsu M. Unequal gene amplification and transcription in the macronucleus of Tetrahymena pyriformis. Biochemistry. 1979 Nov 27;18(24):5289–5294. doi: 10.1021/bi00591a004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. King B. O., Yao M. C. Tandemly repeated hexanucleotide at Tetrahymena rDNA free end is generated from a single copy during development. Cell. 1982 Nov;31(1):177–182. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90417-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lauth M. R., Spear B. B., Heumann J., Prescott D. M. DNA of ciliated protozoa: DNA sequence diminution during macronuclear development of Oxytricha. Cell. 1976 Jan;7(1):67–74. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(76)90256-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pan W. C., Blackburn E. H. Single extrachromosomal ribosomal RNA gene copies are synthesized during amplification of the rDNA in Tetrahymena. Cell. 1981 Feb;23(2):459–466. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90141-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Pan W. C., Orias E., Flacks M., Blackburn E. H. Allele-specific, selective amplification of a ribosomal RNA gene in Tetrahymena thermophila. Cell. 1982 Mar;28(3):595–604. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90214-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Prescott D. M., Murti K. G. Chromosome structure in ciliated protozoans. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1974;38:609–618. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1974.038.01.065. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rigby P. W., Dieckmann M., Rhodes C., Berg P. Labeling deoxyribonucleic acid to high specific activity in vitro by nick translation with DNA polymerase I. J Mol Biol. 1977 Jun 15;113(1):237–251. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(77)90052-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Southern E. M. Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol. 1975 Nov 5;98(3):503–517. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(75)80083-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sugai T., Hiwatashi K. Cytologic and autoradiographic studies of the micronucleus at meiotic prophase in Tetrahymena pyriformis. J Protozool. 1974 Oct;21(4):542–548. doi: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1974.tb03695.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Woodard J., Kaneshiro E., Gorovsky M. A. Cytochemical studies on the problem of macronuclear subnuclei in tetrahymena. Genetics. 1972 Feb;70(2):251–260. doi: 10.1093/genetics/70.2.251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Yao M. C. Elimination of specific DNA sequences from the somatic nucleus of the ciliate Tetrahymena. J Cell Biol. 1982 Mar;92(3):783–789. doi: 10.1083/jcb.92.3.783. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Yao M. C., Gall J. G. A single integrated gene for ribosomal RNA in a eucaryote, Tetrahymena pyriformis. Cell. 1977 Sep;12(1):121–132. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(77)90190-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Yao M. C., Gorovsky M. A. Comparison of the sequences of macro- and micronuclear DNA of Tetrahymena pyriformis. Chromosoma. 1974;48(1):1–18. doi: 10.1007/BF00284863. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Yao M. C. Ribosomal RNA gene amplification in Tetrahymena may be associated with chromosome breakage and DNA elimination. Cell. 1981 Jun;24(3):765–774. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90102-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Yokoyama R. W., Yao M. C. Elimination of DNA sequences during macronuclear differentiation in Tetrahymena thermophila, as detected by in situ hybridization. Chromosoma. 1982;85(1):11–22. doi: 10.1007/BF00344591. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Molecular and Cellular Biology are provided here courtesy of Taylor & Francis

RESOURCES