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. 1985 Sep;4(9):2281–2285. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb03927.x

Bombyx mori 28S ribosomal genes contain insertion elements similar to the Type I and II elements of Drosophila melanogaster.

T H Eickbush, B Robins
PMCID: PMC554498  PMID: 3000769

Abstract

We have examined the 28S ribosomal genes of the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, for the presence of insertion sequences. Two types of insertion sequences were found, each approximately 5 kb in length, which do not share sequence homology. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the junction regions with the uninserted gene reveals that one type of insertion has resulted in a 14 bp duplication of the 28S coding region at the insertion site. The location of this insertion and the 14 bp duplication are identical to that found in the Type I ribosomal insertion element of Drosophila melanogaster. The second type of insertion element is located at a site corresponding to approximately 75 bp upstream of the first type. The location of this insertion, the variability detected at its 5' junction, and a short region of sequence homology at its 3' junction suggest that it is related to the Type II element of D. melanogaster. This is the first example of a Type II-like rDNA insertion outside of sibling species of D. melanogaster, and the first example of a Type I-like rDNA insertion outside of the higher Diptera.

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Selected References

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