Abstract
The RNA of Balbiani ring BR2 of polytene chromosomes from Chironomus thummi salivary glands was microisolated and reassociated in the presence of an excess of total larval DNA. BR2 RNA reacts as a single component with a C0t1/2 of 8.6. Ribosomal precursor RNA from microisolated nucleoli reassociates under identical conditions with a C0t1/2 of 12.3. These C0t1/2-values suggest repetition frequencies in the range of 35 and 50 for ribosomal DNA and Balbiani ring 2 DNA, respectively. The data presented here favour the view that the gene for BR2 RNA of C. thummi is internally repeated and contains only one type of DNA sequence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bäumlein, H.: Einsatz spezifischer RNA-Fraktionen zur Genomcharakterisierung von Chironomus thummi durch Nukleinsäurehybridisierung. Thesis, University of Jena 1977
Bäumlein, H., Wobus, U.: Chromosomal localization of ribosomal 5S RNA genes in Chironomus thummi by in situ hybridization of iodinated 5S RNA. Chromosoma (Berl.) 57, 199–201 (1976)
Beermann, W.: Ein Balbiani-Ring als Locus einer Speicheldrüsenmutation. Chromosoma (Berl.) 12, 1–25 (1961)
Bishop, J.O.: Molecular hybridization of ribonucleic acid with a large excess of deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochem. J. 126, 171–185 (1972)
Britten, R.J., Smith, J.: A bovine genome. Yearbook Carnegie Inst. Wash. 68, 378–386 (1969)
Cohn, R.H., Lowry, J.G., Kedes, L.H.: Histone genes of the sea urchin (S. purpuratus) cloned in E. coli: order, polarity, and strandedness of the five histone-coding and spacer regions. Cell 9, 147–161 (1976)
Daneholt, B.: Giant RNA transcript in a Balbiani ring. Nature (Lond.) New Biol. 240, 229–232 (1972)
Daneholt, B.: Transfer of genetic information in polytene cells. Int. Rev. Cytol. Suppl. 4, 417–462 (1974)
Davidson, E.H., Britten, R.J.: Organization, transcription, and regulation in the animal genome. Quart. Rev. Biol. 48, 565–613 (1973)
Edström, J.-E., Lambert, B.: Gene and information diversity in eukaryotes. Progr. Biophys. molec. Biol. 30, 57–82 (1975)
Gage, L.P., Manning, R.F.: Determination of the multiplicity of the silk fibroin gene and detection of fibroin-related DNA in the genome of Bombyx mori. J. molec. Biol. 101, 327–347 (1976)
Galau, G., Smith, M.J., Britten, R.J., Davidson, E.H.: Studies on nucleic acid reassociation kinetics: retarded rate of hybridization of RNA with excess DNA. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) (in press, 1977)
Grossbach, U.: Chromosomen-Aktivität und biochemische Zelldifferenzierung in den Speicheldrüsen von Camptochironomus. Chromosoma (Berl.) 28, 136–187 (1969)
Hennig, W.: Molecular hybridization of DNA and RNA in situ. Int. Rev. Cytol. 36, 1–44 (1973)
Hollenberg, C.P.: Proportionate representation of rDNA and Balbani ring DNA in polytene chromosomes of Chironomus tentans. Chromosoma (Berl.) 57, 185–197 (1976)
Lambert, B.: Repeated sequences in a Balbiani ring. J. molec. Biol. 72, 65–76 (1972)
McCarthy, B.J. et al.: Group report on “Gene Organization” In: Organization and expression of chromosomes (V.G. Allfrey et al., eds.). Dahlem Konferenzen, Berlin 1976
Melli, M., Whitfield, C., Rae, K.V., Richardson, M., Bishop, J.O.: DNA-RNA hybridization in vast DNA excess. Nature (Lond.) New Biol. 231, 8–12 (1971)
Schaffner, W., Gross, K., Telford, J., Birnstiel, M.: Molecular analysis of the histone gene cluster of Psammechinus miliaris. II. The arrangement of the five histone-coding and spacer sequences. Cell 8, 471–478 (1976)
Serfling, E.: The transcripts of Balbiani rings from Chironomus thummi. Chromosoma (Berl.) 57, 271–283 (1976)
Serfling, E., Majorov, V.I., Mikichur, N.I., Popova, T.G., Sandakchiev, S.S.: DNA and RNA content of Chironomus thummi polytene chromosomes determined by micro column gel filtration. Cell Different. 3, 361–370 (1975)
Serfling, E., Maximovsky, L.F., Wobus, U.: Synthesis and processing of ribosomal ribonucleic acid in salivary gland cells of Chironomus thummi. Europ. J. Biochem. 45, 277–289 (1974)
Wetmur, J.G., and Davidson, N.: Kinetics of renaturation of DNA. J. molec. Biol. 31, 349–370 (1968)
Wobus, U.: Molecular characterization of an insect genome: Chironomus thummi. Europ. J. Biochem. 59, 287–293 (1975)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wobus, U., Serfling, E. The repetition frequency of DNA in Balbiani ring 2 of Chironomus thummi . Chromosoma 64, 279–286 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328082
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328082