Biomaterial Database

Identification of the coding sequence for a reverse transcriptase-like enzyme in a transposable genetic element in Drosophila melanogaster. 1984

K Saigo, and W Kugimiya, and Y Matsuo, and S Inouye, and K Yoshioka, and S Yuki

The largest group of transposable elements in Drosophila melanogaster, copia-like elements, share some important structural features with and are intimately related in evolution to vertebrate retroviruses. To further clarify the relationship between retroviruses and copia-like transposable elements, we set out to determine the complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of 17.6, which has long terminal repeats homologous in nucleotide sequence to those of avian leukaemia-sarcoma virus. We report here that 17.6 contains three long open reading frames comparable with gag, pol and env genes in retrovirus. At the level of amino acid sequence, the longest open reading frame of 17.6 includes a coding sequence similar to that for reverse transcriptase, suggesting a role for this enzyme in the life cycle of some Drosophila copia-like elements, analogous to the situation in retrovirus.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D004251	DNA Transposable Elements	Discrete segments of DNA which can excise and reintegrate to another site in the genome. Most are inactive, i.e., have not been found to exist outside the integrated state. DNA transposable elements include bacterial IS (insertion sequence) elements, Tn elements, the maize controlling elements Ac and Ds, Drosophila P, gypsy, and pogo elements, the human Tigger elements and the Tc and mariner elements which are found throughout the animal kingdom.	DNA Insertion Elements,DNA Transposons,IS Elements,Insertion Sequence Elements,Tn Elements,Transposable Elements,Elements, Insertion Sequence,Sequence Elements, Insertion,DNA Insertion Element,DNA Transposable Element,DNA Transposon,Element, DNA Insertion,Element, DNA Transposable,Element, IS,Element, Insertion Sequence,Element, Tn,Element, Transposable,Elements, DNA Insertion,Elements, DNA Transposable,Elements, IS,Elements, Tn,Elements, Transposable,IS Element,Insertion Element, DNA,Insertion Elements, DNA,Insertion Sequence Element,Sequence Element, Insertion,Tn Element,Transposable Element,Transposable Element, DNA,Transposable Elements, DNA,Transposon, DNA,Transposons, DNA
D004262	DNA Restriction Enzymes	Enzymes that are part of the restriction-modification systems. They catalyze the endonucleolytic cleavage of DNA sequences which lack the species-specific methylation pattern in the host cell's DNA. Cleavage yields random or specific double-stranded fragments with terminal 5'-phosphates. The function of restriction enzymes is to destroy any foreign DNA that invades the host cell. Most have been studied in bacterial systems, but a few have been found in eukaryotic organisms. They are also used as tools for the systematic dissection and mapping of chromosomes, in the determination of base sequences of DNAs, and have made it possible to splice and recombine genes from one organism into the genome of another. EC 3.21.1.	Restriction Endonucleases,DNA Restriction Enzyme,Restriction Endonuclease,Endonuclease, Restriction,Endonucleases, Restriction,Enzymes, DNA Restriction,Restriction Enzyme, DNA,Restriction Enzymes, DNA
D004331	Drosophila melanogaster	A species of fruit fly frequently used in genetics because of the large size of its chromosomes.	D. melanogaster,Drosophila melanogasters,melanogaster, Drosophila
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001483	Base Sequence	The sequence of PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. It is also called nucleotide sequence.	DNA Sequence,Nucleotide Sequence,RNA Sequence,DNA Sequences,Base Sequences,Nucleotide Sequences,RNA Sequences,Sequence, Base,Sequence, DNA,Sequence, Nucleotide,Sequence, RNA,Sequences, Base,Sequences, DNA,Sequences, Nucleotide,Sequences, RNA
D012190	Retroviridae	Family of RNA viruses that infects birds and mammals and encodes the enzyme reverse transcriptase. The family contains seven genera: DELTARETROVIRUS; LENTIVIRUS; RETROVIRUSES TYPE B, MAMMALIAN; ALPHARETROVIRUS; GAMMARETROVIRUS; RETROVIRUSES TYPE D; and SPUMAVIRUS. A key feature of retrovirus biology is the synthesis of a DNA copy of the genome which is integrated into cellular DNA. After integration it is sometimes not expressed but maintained in a latent state (PROVIRUSES).	Leukemogenic Viruses,Leukoviruses,Oncornaviruses,Oncovirinae,Oncoviruses,Oncoviruses, Type C,RNA Tumor Viruses,Retroviruses,Type C Oncoviruses,C Oncovirus, Type,C Oncoviruses, Type,Leukemogenic Virus,Leukovirus,Oncornavirus,Oncovirus,Oncovirus, Type C,RNA Tumor Virus,Retrovirus,Tumor Virus, RNA,Tumor Viruses, RNA,Type C Oncovirus,Virus, Leukemogenic,Virus, RNA Tumor,Viruses, Leukemogenic,Viruses, RNA Tumor
D012194	RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase	An enzyme that synthesizes DNA on an RNA template. It is encoded by the pol gene of retroviruses and by certain retrovirus-like elements. EC 2.7.7.49.	DNA Polymerase, RNA-Directed,RNA-Dependent DNA Polymerase,Reverse Transcriptase,RNA Transcriptase,Revertase,DNA Polymerase, RNA Directed,DNA Polymerase, RNA-Dependent,RNA Dependent DNA Polymerase,RNA Directed DNA Polymerase
D012333	RNA, Messenger	RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.	Messenger RNA,Messenger RNA, Polyadenylated,Poly(A) Tail,Poly(A)+ RNA,Poly(A)+ mRNA,RNA, Messenger, Polyadenylated,RNA, Polyadenylated,mRNA,mRNA, Non-Polyadenylated,mRNA, Polyadenylated,Non-Polyadenylated mRNA,Poly(A) RNA,Polyadenylated mRNA,Non Polyadenylated mRNA,Polyadenylated Messenger RNA,Polyadenylated RNA,RNA, Polyadenylated Messenger,mRNA, Non Polyadenylated