Summary
Low-stringency hybridisation between recombinant plasmids representing the complete T. aestivum chloroplast genome has revealed small repeated DNA segments dispersed through the molecule. Thirty-two repeated DNA segments were detected, and they could be divided into 12 unrelated sets; no repeat was detected as multiple copies. The longest of the small repeats mapped just within the large inverted repeat in spinach and mung-bean ctDNAs. It was found to have been duplicated after the divergence of a cereal progenitor to generate a third, dispensible copy, 0.2 kbp downstream of rbcL. In maize at least, this copy has also become integrated, with rbcL, in the mitochondrial genome. Another of the repeats is thought to have mediated a chloroplast DNA inversion (Howe 1985). Thus the diverse collection of small repeats probably represents some consequences and causes of past recombination events as well as a mechanism for further intramolecular ctDNA recombination. Their possible significance in the restructuring and evolution of chloroplast genomes is discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albertini A, Hofer M, Calos MP, Miller JH (1982) Cell 24:319–328
Birky CW Jr (1983) Science 222:468–475
Birnboim HL, Doly J (1979) Nucleic Acids Res 7:1513–1523
Bowman CM, Bonnard G, Dyer TA (1983) Theor Appl Genet 65: 247–262
Broach JR (1982) Cell 28:203–204
Courtice GRM, Bowman CM, Dyer TA, Gray JC (1985) Curr Genet 10:329–333
Day A, Ellis THN (1984) Cell 39:359–368
Day A, Ellis THN (1985) Curr Genet 9:671–678
Dover GA, Brown S, Coen E, Dallas J, Strachan T, Trick M (1982) The dynamics of genome evolution and species differentiation. In: Dover GA, Flavell RB (eds) Genome evolution. Academic Press, London New York, p 343
Flavell RB (1986) Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 312:227–242
Grunstein M, Hogness DS (1975) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72: 3961–3965
Hallick RB, Bottomley W (1984) Plant Mol Biol Rep 1:38–43
Herrmann RG, Westhoff P, Alt J, Winter P, Tittgen J, Bisanz C, Sears BB, Nelson N, Hurt E, Hauska G, Viebrock A, Sebald W (1983) Identification and characterisation of genes for polypeptides of the thylakoid membrane. In: Cifferi O, Dure L III (eds) Structure and function of plant genomes. Plenum Press, New York London, p 143
Howe CJ (1985) Curr Genet 10:139–145
Iida S, Meyer J, Arber W (1983) Prokaryotic IS elements. In: Shapiro J (ed) Mobile genetic elements. Academic Press, New York London, p 159
Jeffreys A, Wilson V, Thein SW (1985) Nature (London) 314: 67–73
Lonsdale DM, Hodge TP, Howe CJ, Stern DB (1983) Cell 34: 1007–1014
Lonsdale DM (1985) Chloroplast DNA sequences in the mitochondrial genome of maize. In: van Vloten-Doting L, Groot GSP, Hall TC (eds) Molecular form and function of the plant genome. Plenum Publishing Corporation, p 421
Lonsdale DM, Hodge TP, Fauron CM-R (1984) Nucleic Acids Res 12:9249–9261
Medgyesy P, Fejes E, Maliga P (1985) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82:6960–6964
Nicolas P, Ravel-Chapuis P, Heizmann P, Nigon V-M (1985) Curr Genet 10:229–238
Ogihara Y, Tsunewaki K (1982) Jpn J Genet 57:371–396
Palmer JD (1983) Nature (London) 301:92–93
Palmer JD (1985) Annu Rev Genet 19:325–354
Palmer JD, Thompson WF (1981) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78: 5533–5537
Rigby PWJ, Dieckmann M, Thodes C, Berg P (1977) J Mol Biol 133:273–251
Scherer S, Davis RW (1980) Science 209:1380–1384
Stern DB, Lonsdale DM (1982) Nature (London) 299:698–702
Wahl GM, Stern M, Stark GR (1979) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:3683–3687
Watson M (1984) Trends in Biochem Sci 9:82–83
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bowman, C.M., Dyer, T.A. The location and possible evolutionary significance of small dispersed repeats in wheat ctDNA. Curr Genet 10, 931–941 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00398291
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00398291