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Microconversion between murine H-2 genes integrated into yeast

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Abstract

PATCHWORK homology observed between divergent members of polymorphic multigene families is thought to reflect evolution by short-tract gene conversion (nonreciprocal recombination), although this mechanism cannot usually be confirmed in higher organisms1–12. In contrast to meiotic conversions observed in laboratory yeast strains, apparent conversions between polymor-phic sequences, such as the class I loci of the major histocompatibil-ity complex (MHC), are short and do not seem to be associated with reciprocal recombination (crossover, exchanges)7–9,13–23. We have now integrated two nonallelic murine class I genes into yeast to characterize their meiotic recombination. We found no cross-overs between the MHC genes, but short-tract 'microconversions' of 1–215 base-pairs were observed in about 6% of all meioses. Strikingly, one of these events was accompanied by a single base-pair mutation. These results underscore both the importance of meiotic gene conversion and sequence heterology in determining conversion patterns between divergent genes.

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Author notes

  1. Christopher J. Wheeler

    Present address: Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. · Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    Christopher J. Wheeler & Robert S. Goodenow

  2. Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    Daniel Maloney & Seymour Fogel

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  1. Christopher J. Wheeler
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  2. Daniel Maloney
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  3. Seymour Fogel
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  4. Robert S. Goodenow
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Wheeler, C., Maloney, D., Fogel, S. et al. Microconversion between murine H-2 genes integrated into yeast. Nature 347, 192–194 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/347192a0

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