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Science 10 July 1987:
Vol. 237. no. 4811, pp. 182 - 184
DOI: 10.1126/science.3037701
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Articles

Science, Vol 237, Issue 4811, 182-184
Copyright © 1987 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Variable occurrence of the nrdB intron in the T-even phages suggests intron mobility

J Pedersen-Lane and M Belfort

The bacteriophage T4 nrdB gene, encoding nucleoside diphosphate reductase subunit B, contains a self-splicing group I intervening sequence. The nrdB intron was shown to be absent from the genomes of the closely related T-even phages T2 and T6. Evidence for variable intron distribution was provided by autocatalytic 32P-guanosine 5'-triphosphate labeling of T-even RNAs, DNA and RNA hybridization analyses, and DNA sequencing studies. The results indicate the nonessential nature of the intron in nrdB expression and phage viability. Furthermore, they suggest that either precise intron loss from T2 and T6 or lateral intron acquisition by T4 occurred since the evolution of these phages from a common ancestor. Intron movement in the course of T-even phage divergence raises provocative questions about the origin of these self-splicing elements in prokaryotes.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Insertion of a homing endonuclease creates a genes-in-pieces ribonucleotide reductase that retains function.
N. C. Friedrich, E. Torrents, E. A. Gibb, M. Sahlin, B.-M. Sjoberg, and D. R. Edgell (2007)
PNAS 104, 6176-6181
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Homing endonuclease I-TevIII: dimerization as a means to a double-strand break.
J. B. Robbins, M. Stapleton, M. J. Stanger, D. Smith, J. T. Dansereau, V. Derbyshire, and M. Belfort (2007)
Nucleic Acids Res. 35, 1589-1600
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Widespread Distribution of a Group I Intron and Its Three Deletion Derivatives in the Lysin Gene of Streptococcus thermophilus Bacteriophages.
S. Foley, A. Bruttin, and H. Brüssow (2000)
J. Virol. 74, 611-618
   Abstract »    Full Text »
The phage T4 nrdB intron: a deletion mutant of a version found in the wild..
S R Eddy and L Gold (1991)
Genes & Dev. 5, 1032-1041
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Genes within genes: independent expression of phage T4 intron open reading frames and the genes in which they reside..
J M Gott, A Zeeh, D Bell-Pedersen, K Ehrenman, M Belfort, and D A Shub (1988)
Genes & Dev. 2, 1791-1799
   Abstract »    PDF »
A persistent untranslated sequence within bacteriophage T4 DNA topoisomerase gene 60.
W. Huang, S. Ao, S Casjens, R Orlandi, R Zeikus, R Weiss, D Winge, and M Fang (1988)
Science 239, 1005-1012
   Abstract »    PDF »
Activation of a cryptic 5' splice site in the upstream exon of the phage T4 td transcript: exon context, missplicing, and mRNA deletion in a fidelity mutant..
P S Chandry and M Belfort (1987)
Genes & Dev. 1, 1028-1037
   Abstract »    PDF »
Genetic Delineation of Functional Components of the Group I Intron in the Phage T4 td Gene.
M. Belfort, P.S. Chandry, and J. Pedersen-Lane (1987)
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 52, 181-192
   Abstract »    PDF »


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