The integration machinery of ZAM, a retroelement from Drosophila melanogaster, acts as a sequence-specific endonuclease.
Retroviruses and retrotransposons insert into the host genome with no obvious sequence specificity. We examined the target sites of the retroelement ZAM by sequencing each host-ZAM junction in the genome of Drosophila melanogaster. Our overall data provide compelling evidence that ZAM integration machinery recognizes and leads to ZAM insertion into the sequence 5'-GCGCGCg-3'. This unique property of ZAM will facilitate the development of new tools to study the integration process of retroelements.
Unité INSERM U384, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
P
P
Leblanc
B
B
Dastugue
C
C
Vaury
D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017344:Genes, Insect; D018626:Retroelements; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D018626:Retroelements; D004720:Endonucleases