title: Evidence for Drosophila P element transposase activity in mammalian cells and yeast.
abstract: Drosophila P element transposase expression is limited to the germline by tissue-specific splicing of one of its three introns. Removal of this intron by mutagenesis in vitro has allowed both P element excision and transposition to be detected in Drosophila somatic tissues. In order to determine if P element transposase can function in other organisms, we have expressed modified P elements either lacking one intron or lacking all three introns in mammalian cells and yeast, respectively. Using an assay for P element excision, we have detected apparent excision events in cultured monkey cells. Furthermore, expression of the complete P element cDNA is lethal to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells carrying a mutation in the RAD52 gene, indicating that double-stranded DNA breaks are generated, presumably by transposase action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Rio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Laski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rine
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D000882:Haplorhini; D010957:Plasmids; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements