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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1994 Mar 15;91(6):2255–2259. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.6.2255

Developmentally excised sequences in micronuclear DNA of Paramecium.

C J Steele 1, G A Barkocy-Gallagher 1, L B Preer 1, J R Preer Jr 1
PMCID: PMC43349  PMID: 8134383

Abstract

DNA processing occurs in ciliates at autogamy and conjugation when new macronuclei are formed from micronuclei and old macronuclei degrade. Processing of micronuclear DNA consists of removal of certain internal sequences, chromosomal fragmentation, addition of new telomeres, and amplification. Aside from a recent brief report, internal eliminated sequences have not been described in Paramecium. In this paper we characterize nine internal eliminated sequences found within and near the gene that codes for surface protein A in Paramecium tetraurelia. Of these nine, seven are located within the translated portion of the gene, and all include short, inverted terminal repeats. The characteristic sequence, TA, appears at the boundaries of all of the internal eliminated sequences.

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Selected References

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