Spacer regulation of Xenopus ribosomal gene transcription: competition in oocytes. 1983

R H Reeder, and J G Roan, and M Dunaway

Xenopus laevis ribosomal gene plasmids bearing different length spacers were injected into oocyte nuclei in competition with each other. The spacer has two basic effects on transcription from the gene promoter. First, if the competing pair have unequal spacer lengths, the gene promoter attached to the longer spacer is always dominant in transcription (the competition effect). Second, as the total amount of spacer in the reaction increases, the total amount of transcription decreases (the sink effect). Both the competition and the sink effect are attributed to sequence elements that are 60 or 81 bp long, which are present in multiple copies in the spacer and are related in sequence to part of the gene promoter. The 60/81 bp elements confer competitive dominance in either orientation. A model which explains both the competition and the sink effects is discussed in which the 60/81 bp elements are attraction sites for a factor(s) which is needed to activate the gene promoter.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009865 Oocytes Female germ cells derived from OOGONIA and termed OOCYTES when they enter MEIOSIS. The primary oocytes begin meiosis but are arrested at the diplotene state until OVULATION at PUBERTY to give rise to haploid secondary oocytes or ova (OVUM). Ovocytes,Oocyte,Ovocyte
D010957 Plasmids Extrachromosomal, usually CIRCULAR DNA molecules that are self-replicating and transferable from one organism to another. They are found in a variety of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, algal, and plant species. They are used in GENETIC ENGINEERING as CLONING VECTORS. Episomes,Episome,Plasmid
D012091 Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid Sequences of DNA or RNA that occur in multiple copies. There are several types: INTERSPERSED REPETITIVE SEQUENCES are copies of transposable elements (DNA TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS or RETROELEMENTS) dispersed throughout the genome. TERMINAL REPEAT SEQUENCES flank both ends of another sequence, for example, the long terminal repeats (LTRs) on RETROVIRUSES. Variations may be direct repeats, those occurring in the same direction, or inverted repeats, those opposite to each other in direction. TANDEM REPEAT SEQUENCES are copies which lie adjacent to each other, direct or inverted (INVERTED REPEAT SEQUENCES). DNA Repetitious Region,Direct Repeat,Genes, Selfish,Nucleic Acid Repetitive Sequences,Repetitive Region,Selfish DNA,Selfish Genes,DNA, Selfish,Repetitious Region, DNA,Repetitive Sequence,DNA Repetitious Regions,DNAs, Selfish,Direct Repeats,Gene, Selfish,Repeat, Direct,Repeats, Direct,Repetitious Regions, DNA,Repetitive Regions,Repetitive Sequences,Selfish DNAs,Selfish Gene
D004247 DNA A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine). DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004275 DNA, Ribosomal DNA sequences encoding RIBOSOMAL RNA and the segments of DNA separating the individual ribosomal RNA genes, referred to as RIBOSOMAL SPACER DNA. Ribosomal DNA,rDNA
D005260 Female Females
D005796 Genes A category of nucleic acid sequences that function as units of heredity and which code for the basic instructions for the development, reproduction, and maintenance of organisms. Cistron,Gene,Genetic Materials,Cistrons,Genetic Material,Material, Genetic,Materials, Genetic
D005809 Genes, Regulator Genes which regulate or circumscribe the activity of other genes; specifically, genes which code for PROTEINS or RNAs which have GENE EXPRESSION REGULATION functions. Gene, Regulator,Regulator Gene,Regulator Genes,Regulatory Genes,Gene, Regulatory,Genes, Regulatory,Regulatory Gene
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
D001482 Base Composition The relative amounts of the PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in a nucleic acid. Base Ratio,G+C Composition,Guanine + Cytosine Composition,G+C Content,GC Composition,GC Content,Guanine + Cytosine Content,Base Compositions,Base Ratios,Composition, Base,Composition, G+C,Composition, GC,Compositions, Base,Compositions, G+C,Compositions, GC,Content, G+C,Content, GC,Contents, G+C,Contents, GC,G+C Compositions,G+C Contents,GC Compositions,GC Contents,Ratio, Base,Ratios, Base

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