Phylogenetic evidence for multiple Alu source genes.
A member of the young PV Alu subfamily is detected in chimpanzee DNA showing that the PV subfamily is not specific to human DNA. This particular Alu is absent from the orthologous loci in both human and gorilla DNAs, indicating that PV subfamily members transposed within the chimpanzee lineage following the divergence of chimpanzee from both gorilla and human. These findings and previous reports describing the transpositional activity of other Alu sequences within the human, gorilla, and chimpanzee lineages provide phylogenetic evidence for the existence of multiple Alu source genes. Sequences surrounding this particular Alu resemble known transcriptional control elements associated with RNA polymerase III, suggesting a mechanism by which cis-acting elements might be acquired upon retrotransposition.
Leeflang
E P
EP
Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis 95616.
Liu
W M
WM
Hashimoto
C
C
Choudary
P V
PV
Schmid
C W
CW
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000235:genetics*; D015186:Hominidae / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D012320:RNA Polymerase III