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. 1984 Feb;4(2):221–227. doi: 10.1128/mcb.4.2.221

Species-specific rDNA transcription is due to promoter-specific binding factors.

R Miesfeld, N Arnheim
PMCID: PMC368684  PMID: 6700588

Abstract

RNA polymerase I transcription factors were purified from HeLa and mouse L cell extracts by phosphocellulose chromatography. Three fractions from each species were found to be required for transcription. One of these fractions, virtually devoid of RNA polymerase I activity, was found to form a stable preinitiation complex with small DNA fragments containing promoter sequences from the homologous but not the heterologous species. These species-specific DNA-binding factors can explain nucleolar dominance in vivo in mouse-human hybrid somatic cells and species specificity in cell-free, RNA polymerase I-dependent transcription systems. The evolution of species-specific transcriptional control signals may be the natural outcome of a special relationship that exists between the RNA polymerase I transcription machinery and the multigene family coding for rRNA.

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Selected References

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