title: Structural analysis of Doc transposable elements associated with mutations at the white and suppressor of forked loci of Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: DNA sequences from two spontaneous mutations of Drosophila melanogaster associated with insertion of a Doc transposable element have been cloned. In white-one, the element is inserted in the white locus close to where transcription initiates. In a lethal allele of suppressor of forked, su(f)S2, the element is inserted within the transcription unit in the protein coding region. Four other Doc elements have been cloned from a wild-type strain. Doc is a member of the class of transposable elements known as retroposons, which includes the D. melanogaster F, G, Jockey, and I elements. There is no sequence homology between the ends of the Doc element. The 3' or right end terminates with a polyadenylation signal sequence followed by a stretch of oligo-A. The length of the oligo-A varies between elements, and a duplication of variable size is found as a direct repeat flanking inserted Doc elements. Members of the family are conserved at the 3' end, but may be truncated at the 5' or left end. These structural features suggest a mechanism of transposition via an RNA intermediate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Driver
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Cullingford
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitchelson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Hare
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D013489:Suppression, Genetic
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements