title: Highly clustered zein gene sequences reveal evolutionary history of the multigene family.
abstract: We have determined the nucleotide sequences of zein cDNA clones ZG14, ZG15, and ZG35. The three clones have 95 to 98% homology to the previously published sequence of clone A20, and 84% homology to sequences of the zein subfamily A30. Comparison of all sequences of the A30 and A20 subfamilies highlights the following features: the 5' nontranslated regions are 68 and 57 nucleotides in length for the A20- and A30-like mRNAs, respectively, and contain at least three repeats of the consensus sequence ACGAACAAta/gG; the majority of these genes are highly clustered as judged from pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of high molecular weight maize DNA. Furthermore, we discuss a model for the evolution of the multigene family which stresses the special importance of unequal crossingover and gene conversion in this system.
authors.affiliation: Waksman Institute, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway 08855.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heidecker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Messing
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005785:Gene Conversion; D005796:Genes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D005810:Multigene Family; D011544:Pseudogenes; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*; D015028:Zein / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D015028:Zein