Plant transposable elements generate the DNA sequence diversity needed in evolution.
Two germinal and 16 somatic reversion events induced by the Enhancer (En) transposable element system at the wx-8::Spm-I8 allele of Zea mays were cloned and studied by sequence analysis. Excision of the Spm-I8 receptor element from the wx gene results in various mutant DNA sequences. This leads to altered gene products, some of which are still capable of restoring the wild-type phenotype. Possible 'foot-print' sequences that may have arisen by the excision of transposable elements were observed when intron sequences of the wild-type (wx+) and mutant (wx-m8) alleles of the wx gene were compared. The sequence divergence generated by visitation of a locus by plant transposable elements is discussed with respect to the molecular evolution of the new gene functions.
Schwarz-Sommer
Z
Z
Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, 5000 Köln 30, FRG.
Gierl
A
A
Cuypers
H
H
Peterson
P A
PA
Saedler
H
H
D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018744:DNA, Plant