title: Reverse transcriptase-like sequences related to retrotransposon in a red alga, Porphyra yezoensis.
abstract: Four DNA fragments encoding a reverse transcriptase (RT)-like gene related to that of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons were isolated from the red alga Porphyra yezoensis by genomic PCR. Southern blot analysis suggested that one clone exists as a single copy per genome. Its full-length cDNA (PyRE2A) contained RT/RNase H-like sequences, which are most closely related to those of the Volvox LTR retrotransposon, although two stop codons were present within the RT region. We did not find any sequence related to LTR retrotransposons other than RT/RNase H in RyRE2A. These results indicate that PyRE2A is a single RT/RNase H-like gene and a defective progenitor of LTR retrotransposons.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takechi
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takio
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D044664:Porphyra / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018626:Retroelements; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase