title: Tad1-1, an active LINE-like element of Neurospora crassa.
abstract: Tad is a LINE-like retrotransposon of Neurospora crassa. The element was originally detected and cloned using the am gene as a transposon trap in hybrid strains derived from a cross of Adiopodoume (a wild collected strain) and a laboratory strain devoid of Tad elements. We report the cloning and sequencing of an active Tad element, Tad1-1, which is capable of independent transposition. Transposition was demonstrated by screening for transfer of the element from a donor nucleus that contained the Tad1-1 element as the only active Tad, into a naive nucleus within a forced heterokaryon. We also report here the sequence analysis of Tad1-1, and its comparison with the sequence of another active element, Tad3-2. These elements are approximately 7 kb in length. They contain two long open reading frames (ORFs) encoded on the strand of the same polarity as the full-length transcript. ORF1 encodes a putative protein of 486 amino acids. Homology to the first ORF of other LINE elements is confined to three cysteine-rich motifs, located near the carboxy-terminus, that are thought to be involved in binding nucleic acids. The second ORF is 1156 amino acids in length and shows homology to the reverse transcriptase domains of various retroviruses and retrotransposons. Tad1-1 and Tad3-2 differ in only ten positions over their whole length.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Cambareri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Helber
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kinsey
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase