title: Cloning and sequence analysis of the micronuclear and macronuclear gene encoding Rab protein of Euplotes octocarinatus.
abstract: The DNA in a micronucleus undergoes remarkable rearrangements when it develops into a macronucleus after cell mating in the hypotrichous ciliate. A Rab gene was isolated from the macronuclear plasmid mini-library of Euplotes octocarinatus. A micronuclear version of the Rab gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The macronuclear DNA molecule carrying the Rab gene is 767 bp long and shows characteristics typical of macronuclear chromosomes of hypotrichous ciliates. Three of the five cysteines are encoded by the opal codon UGA. The deduced protein is a 207-amino acid (aa) with a molecular mass of 23 kDa. The protein shares 36% identity with Rab 1 protein of Plasmodium and yeast. Analysis of the sequences indicated that the micronuclear version of the Rab gene contains two internal eliminated sequences, internal eliminated sequence (IES)1 and IES2. IES1 is flanked by a pair of hepta-nucleotide 5'-AAATTTT-3' direct repeats, and IES2 is flanked by 5'-TA-3' direct repeats.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.forename: Baofeng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D016812:Euplotes / Q000235:genetics*; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins